Chennai, Nov 4:
The Madras High Court on Tuesday declined to interfere with or overturn Indian Railways regulations that restrict passengers holding middle-berth tickets in reserved sleeper and AC compartments from occupying them during daytime hours between 6:00 AM and 10:00 PM. The court reaffirmed that the existing timings strike a fair balance between the rights of co-passengers.
The ruling came upon a petition filed by an unwell woman passenger who contended that she was denied extended sleeping comfort on a reserved middle berth by fellow travelers and railway ticket examiners. The petitioner argued that ticket holders suffering from fatigue, medical ailments, or physical discomfort should possess an unrestricted right to keep berths deployed throughout the entire train journey.
Dismissing the plea, a division bench observed that train travel in shared public carriages necessitates mutual consideration, civility, and adherence to uniform passenger codes. The bench noted that permitting middle-berth passengers to keep their berths raised during daytime hours would completely deprive lower-berth travelers of their legitimate seating rights, resulting in passenger disputes and travel discomfort.
The court reiterated that Railway Board rules explicitly provide that middle berths may only be raised and utilized for sleeping between 10:00 PM and 6:00 AM, while allowing passengers to sit comfortably on the lower berth during daytime travel. The judges remarked that individuals requiring uninterrupted lying-down rest due to chronic health conditions ought to seek lower berth allocations or explore ambulance medical transport.