The Central Railway on Friday said 13 state-of-the-art nursing pods will be set up at seven major railway stations of its Mumbai division to create comfortable spaces for lactating women during travel.
The Central Railway said in a release that nursing pods will be set up at Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus (CSMT), Lokmanya Tilak Terminus (LTT), Dadar, Thane, Kalyan, Panvel and Lonavala stations.
Read also: Cyclone Biparjoy: 180 train services affected in Western Railway zone
It added that the nursing pod will have comfortable cushions to sit on, a dedicated diaper changing station, a fan for ventilation, a light and a dustbin for hygienic disposal of soiled diapers.
Stating that the lack of facilities for pregnant and lactating mothers only adds to their challenges, the Central Railway said that each nursing pod is equipped with an array of facilities designed to enhance the breastfeeding experience for mothers and their babies. will provide.
A licensed service provider will be responsible for maintaining the nursing pods, and advertisements will be displayed on the walls of the pods to make them “economically sustainable”, the railways release said.
One nursing pod each will be set up at CSMT, Kalyan and Panvel stations, two each at Thane and Lonavala stations and three each at Dadar station and LTT stations. It said the pods would be set up under the National Initiative for Feeding and Resting Infrastructure at Stations (NINFRIS) policy.
“This strategic distribution is aimed at meeting the needs of lactating women in Mumbai circle which has around 35 lakh daily commuters, of which around 20 per cent are women,” the release said.