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Indian Railways has implemented a major change in its rules regarding passengers with disabilities. According to a railway circular dated April 20, 2026, a person with a disability holding a valid UDID card is now permitted to travel in the reserved coaches of Mail or Express trains. Indian Railways has authorized persons with disabilities (PwDs) possessing a valid ‘Unique Disability ID’ (UDID) card to travel in coaches specifically reserved for them on Mail and Express trains. Let us discuss this in detail.

**Persons with Disabilities Holding a Valid UDID Card**
The Railways has clarified that individuals holding a valid UDID card—issued by the Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities—will be treated as ‘bona fide’ (genuine) passengers when traveling in coaches designated for passengers with disabilities. This facility also extends to persons with disabilities who are eligible for concessional rail fares and who possess a valid identity card issued under railway regulations.

**Strict Action Against Unauthorized Passengers**
Indian Railways has emphasized that strict action will be taken against any unauthorized passengers found traveling in coaches reserved for passengers with disabilities. Such action will be initiated under the provisions of the ‘Railways Act, 1989’.

**Facilities Offered by the ‘Divyangjan Card’**
The Railways has also highlighted the significance of the ‘Divyangjan Card’—also known as the ‘E-ticketing Photo Identity Card’ (EPICS). This identity card enables persons with disabilities to avail of concessions on rail travel, provided they possess the requisite disability or concession certificate.

**How to Add a Passenger with Disability to the ‘Master List’?**
Log in using your IRCTC username and password.
Navigate to the ‘Add/Modify Master List’ link located within the ‘My Profile’ section under the ‘My Account’ menu.

From the ‘Passenger Type’ options, select the ‘Person with Disability/Escort’ radio button. Select the ‘Person with Disability’ radio button under ‘Travel Type’ and fill in the passenger's details, such as their name, date of birth, concession card number, ID card validity date, etc.
Click the ‘Submit’ button to save the information to the ‘Master List’.
All passengers added to the ‘Master List’ module will be displayed under the ‘Passenger List’ option.

How can persons with disabilities avail themselves of concessions?
According to Indian Railways rules, passengers with disabilities booking tickets on the IRCTC e-ticketing website are granted a concession on the fare.

Log in using your IRCTC username and password.
After logging in, provide your travel details and select the ‘Person with Disability concession’ checkbox on the home page to proceed with a booking that includes the concession. A pop-up message will appear for confirmation; click ‘OK’ to continue with the booking.
Click the ‘Search’ button and select your preferred train on the next page to proceed with the booking.

Click the ‘Check Availability and Fare’ button for the selected train, and then click the ‘Book Now’ button to continue with the booking.
You will be redirected to the passenger details page; here, you can either manually enter the details for the passenger with a disability or retrieve the information from the ‘Saved Passenger List’ created in the ‘Add/Modify Master List’ section.
Once the details have been filled in, a booking review page will appear. Carefully review the information provided here, and then click the ‘Continue’ button to proceed to the payment page.

On the payment page, select your preferred payment option. The payment options are available in the middle-left section of the page. Click the ‘Pay Now’ button corresponding to your chosen payment option, and you will be redirected to the bank's payment gateway page.
Once the payment has been successfully processed on the bank's page, a booking confirmation page will appear, displaying the details of the passenger and the journey.

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