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With Mother’s Day just behind us, we’re sure new moms (and future ones too) will wholeheartedly welcome this novel initiative by the Indian Railways! We’re talking about baby berths, a new facility that is sure to ease travelling in trains for women with kids. Launched on the day we celebrate mothers and their sacrifices, this is a collaboration between the Lucknow and Delhi divisions of the Northern Railways.
Image: Twitter
Speaking about the baby berths, these are foldable berths attached to the side of normal lower berths in trains. They work as an extra berth for kids and come equipped with a stopper to prevent falls. When not in use, these berths can be folded and secured with a stopper, aligned with the main berth.
Image: Twitter
Currently, this has been started on a trial basis on the Lucknow Mail, where baby berths 770 mm in length, 255 mm in width and 76.2 mm in height have been fitted to the main berths of the second cabins on both ends of the coaches. The Northern Railways said that they are testing these berths, adding that if they receive positive feedback from passengers, they will be rolled out for all trains in the future. The statement also said that this initiative was launched to celebrate Mother’s Day. Videos demonstrating how the berth can be set up were shared to help passengers.
As this initiative is still in its testing phase, there’s no provision for booking these berths for women travelling with infants. The Railways might make a related announcement in the future if the facility is launched in all trains.
So far, the feedback on social media has been positive with many applauding the Railways for this project. One Twitter user commented that both mother and child would be able to sleep comfortably, while another hoped that the Railways would continue innovating as per the needs of passengers.
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