Oxygen cylinders mandatory in trains, Supreme Court tells Railways

The directive stated that this needed to be done so that life saving gas could be provided to passengers suffering from respiratory problems in case of an emergency.

It would be mandatory for the Railways to keep oxygen cylinders in all trains, the Supreme Court has said. The directive stated that this needed to be done so that life saving gas could be provided to passengers suffering from respiratory problems in case of an emergency.

A Bench comprising Chief Justice Dipak Misra and Justices A M Khanwilkar and D Y Chandrachud also directed the railways to take assistance of doctors from AIIMS to explore ways to put in place a system in moving trains to provide medical treatment to travellers if they take ill.

"The railways shall keep oxygen cylinders in trains so that anyone suffering from any respiratory problem can be given aid. If any passenger or his/her companion complains to the ticket collector or the attendant that he has some medical problem and immediate attention is required, it shall be the duty of the said officials to intimate the next railway station so that he/she can be given necessary medical assistance at the next railway station where the hospital is situated," the order stated.

The Centre had challenged an order of the Rajasthan High Court which had made it mandatory for the Railways to provide a team comprising one medical officer, a nurse and an attendant in all long distance trains. The Centre contended that it was not feasible to deploy doctors in trains.

Further the Centre also argued it would not be possible to install machines for medical check-ups of sick passengers.

OneIndia News