Indian Army asks Railways to resume army compartment in trains
By Anish Kumar | First Published Jun 8, 2023, 9:24 AM ISTThe facility was stopped by the Railways during the Covid-19 pandemic for obvious reasons and has since been resumed only in a few trains."
Years after the detachment of the army compartment in the trains, the Indian Army has approached the Ministry of Railways to resume the facility in all trains for the ease of personnel below the officer ranks.
The facility was removed from the trains in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic that wreaked havoc across the world.
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Stating that the Army attaches utmost importance to troops' comfort, sources in the defence establishment said: "Attachment of Army Compartment (non AC) was a facility afforded by the Railways to all uniformed forces for travel without reservation in some trains. The facility was stopped by the Railways during the Covid-19 pandemic for obvious reasons and has since been resumed only in a few trains."
"The Indian Army has since approached the Railways to resume this facility in other trains to facilitate journeys of the soldiers with unconfirmed tickets," the sources said.
A group of veterans and civil society members have been running an online campaign for restoring the facility for the other ranks of personnel.
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Sources in the Indian Army said they have already instituted more robust methods for troops to travel in comfort and as per entitlement rather than travel unreserved in non-AC Army compartments.
As part of the digitisation process, "over 95 per cent of units of the Army are active on e-ticketing and over 94 per cent of all army movements is done on entitled reserved class through e-tickets."
They also added that the Tatkal facility has also been added to the e-ticketing facility in army units. "Military coaches are being attached on a required basis."
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