The Madras High Court has refused to cancel the railway rule that permits passengers in reserved sleeper berths to sleep only between 10 pm and 6 am, while noting that pregnant women and passengers with health problems can use the berths at any time under existing provisions.
The ruling came on a petition filed by S. Balasubramanian of KK Nagar, Chennai, after his wife was allegedly denied use of a sleeping berth during a train journey. Balasubramanian said his wife was unwell and challenged the railway instruction governing the use of berths in reserved coaches.
The instruction was issued in 2017 and applies to reserved coaches equipped with sleeping berths. Under the rule, passengers are permitted to sleep between 10 pm and 6 am. During the remaining hours, the berths are intended to remain available for sitting so that other passengers in the compartment can use the seats allotted to them.
A division bench comprising Chief Justice S.A. Dharmadhikari and Justice G. Arul Murugan heard the petition. The court observed that although the 10 pm-6 am sleeping schedule remains in force, railway rules provide exceptions for pregnant women and people suffering from health-related problems.
The bench said passengers requiring assistance could call the Railway Protection Force or railway staff on duty. According to the order reported in the case, the petitioner had not sought such assistance before challenging the rule in court. The court also said that Balasubramanian could approach the railway administration regarding his grievance.
The petition sought cancellation of the 2017 instruction after the petitioner’s wife was not allowed to use the berth during the journey. The court, however, did not set aside the rule and closed the case.
The ruling leaves the general sleeping schedule unchanged for reserved sleeper coaches. It also places emphasis on the existing exceptions, which allow passengers who are pregnant or unwell to sleep outside the prescribed hours when their condition requires it. Passengers facing such situations may seek help from railway personnel or the Railway Protection Force while travelling.
The court’s order does not remove the railway administration’s responsibility to apply these exceptions in eligible cases. For other passengers, the 10 pm-6 am time restriction continues to govern the use of sleeping berths in reserved coaches.
