Massage on trains: MP says it's against Indian culture

The railways' plan of providing massage services to its passengers on board trains has faced criticism, with Indore MP Shankar Lalwani writing to Union minister Piyush Goyal, saying that it is against Indian culture to offer such services in the presence of women.

"Is providing this kind of service 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 wrote in his letter dated June 10.

If railways wants, it can provide this service in tourist trains or even Shatabdi and Rajdhani trains, but not in passenger trains as is being planned," Lalwani, a first time MP said.

Earlier, the national transporter announced that it is working on to starting massage services to passengers in 39 trains departing from Indore on a pilot basis.

This proposal came from the Ratlam division of Western Railway zone, as part of the railways plan to increase non-fare revenue as well as provide additional comfort to passengers.

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

The railway awarded the contract to provide the service and according to which four to five trained massage providers will travel in the train. The charges will be from Rs 100 to Rs 300 for 15-20 minutes service.