Railways scraps plan to offer massage service on trains after protest by Sumitra Mahajan, Indore BJP MP Lalwani

Mumbai-headquartered Western Railway Saturday said it had withdrawn a proposal to provide foot and head massages to passengers on board 39 trains originating from Indore in Madhya Pradesh.

Indore is part of Ratlam division of Western Railway.

In a press release issued here, WR Chief Spokesperson Ravinder Bhakar said, "The proposal for introduction of head and/or foot massage services to be provided in the trains originating from Indore station was initiated by Ratlam Division of Western Railway."

"As soon as this proposal came to the notice of higher authorities of Western Railway, it had been decided to withdraw this proposal of starting massage services in trains," the statement said.

'Standardless, against Indian culture'

The proposal had been opposed by newly-elected Indore Lok Sabha MP Shankar Lalwani and outgoing Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan, both of whom questioned the appropriateness of the proposal.

On June 10, Lalwani had written a letter to the Railway Ministry on the issue, saying it would not be appropriate to provide massage to passengers on board, especially in the presence of women.

"Is providing these kind of services in front of women in accordance with the principles of Indian culture? Providing passengers medical aid, doctors are important for the railways not these standardless services in my opinion," Lalwani had written.

"I can understand this service being provided in tourist trains or even Shatabdi and Rajdhani trains, but not in passenger trains as is being planned. In passenger trains who cares for massages? They are poor people and the journeys last for three to four hours. Who needs a massage there? I think this is completely unnecessary and many women groups here have also complained about it," Lalwani had told PTI.

'May make women passengers feel uncomfortable'

Mahajan also opposed the scheme suggesting that it may make women passengers feel unsafe or uncomfortable. "What arrangements will be made to provide this facility given that the service would throw up some questions regarding the safety and comfort of passengers, especially that of women passengers," Mahajan had asked.

In a letter to Railway Minister Piyush Goyal Friday, Mahajan sought to know whether the ministry had approved the Ratlam Division's plan to start a massage service.

"What arrangements will be made to provide this facility given that the service would throw up some questions regarding the safety and comfort of passengers, especially that of women passengers," Mahajan asked.

The former MP also sought to know whether a massage parlor was being set up at the Indore Railway Station.

'Only head and foot massages'

After Lalwani's letter, Ratlam Railway Divisional Manager RN Sunkar had clarified that the service would not include a "full body massage" but only head and foot massages.

The railways will ensure that the facility will not make passengers feel uncomfortable, he had claimed.

According to railway officials, the proposal was part of an initiative to garner revenue from non-fare segments. 

What was the proposal

A railway official had said on June 8 that the railways was readying to begin the facility in the next couple of weeks in 39 trains departing from Indore.

This was a proposal from the Ratlam division of Western Railway zone, an official had said.

The railways was looking to earn an additional revenue of Rs 20 lakh annually and an estimated increase of Rs 90 lakh per year through additional sale of tickets from about 20,000 passengers who will be the service providers.

This scheme was part of the railways' scheme whereby zones and divisions have been asked to come out with new and innovative ideas to generate non-fare revenue for the national transporter.