India, June 13 -- After doing some careful number-crunching, the Western Railway (WR) will modify and convert one of the two luggage compartments in each of its trains, to augment seating for senior citizens. This would double the number of seats for seniors in each train from the present 14.

The move is in line with an order of the Bombay High Court, which ruled last year that the Indian Railways must allow seniors to travel in the luggage compartments of local trains. The order was given on a Public Interest Litigation (PIL), which sought dedicated compartments for senior citizens. The PIL said around 50,000 seniors commute daily in local trains.

To implement the court order, the Western Railway will modify the seventh coach from the ...