In a call for enhanced safety and comfort, women passengers traveling on the Pune to Daund DEMU Express have united to demand dedicated coaches on DEMU/MEMU trains. The route, heavily frequented by students, workers, traders, and tourists, witnesses a significant number of female passengers commuting daily for various purposes from towns and villages including Daund, Patas, Kadethan, Kedgaon, Khutbav, Yawat, Uruli, Loni, to Pune.
Neha Shetty, a student commuting on the Pune-Daund route, expressed frustration, stating, “The demand for a dedicated Pune to Daund suburban local service has been pending for years. On this International Women’s Day, we voice our discontent against the Railway Administration for not providing a separate coach for females on DEMU/MEMU trains. We urge the administration to grant Suburban Status for Daund Junction and reinstate EMU Local services with a designated coach for women.”
According to Pune Gramin Railway Pravasi Group, female passengers currently lack a separate coach on DEMU/MEMU trains, while Suburban EMU Locals between Pune and Lonavala offer segregated first-class and second-class coaches for women. In the past, when rakes were in use on the Pune to Daund route, two coaches were reserved for female passengers. However, since the introduction of DEMU/MEMU, no such provision exists.
The suburban EMU local service between Pune and Daund currently provides four coaches for female passengers, accommodating both first and second class, handicapped, and luggage. Advocates argue that a dedicated Suburban EMU Local with twelve to fifteen coaches is essential for the Pune to Daund route.
Female commuters are strongly urging the railway administration to expedite the process of granting Suburban Status to EMU Locals, ensuring safer and more inclusive train travel for women.
