(E)North Central Railway employs around 400 persons with disabilities in contractual roles

The North Central Railway (NCR) has provided employment to around 400 persons with disabilities (PwDs) in various contractual roles, including station announcers and Automatic Ticket Vending Machine (ATVM) operators, as part of an initiative aimed at their empowerment, officials said.

Chief Public Relations Officer Shivam Sharma said NCR General Manager N P Singh launched the initiative earlier this year, directing the Prayagraj, Jhansi and Agra divisions to create employment opportunities for persons with disabilities wherever feasible.

He said the three divisions have engaged nearly 400 PwDs on contract in roles such as ATVM operators, station announcers, data entry operators, One Station One Product (OSOP) stall operators and other customer service positions.

Sharma said the initiative extends beyond employment, with the NCR also providing skill training to 100 persons with disabilities under its apprenticeship scheme to promote long-term empowerment and self-reliance.

According to the officials, the employment drive is being implemented across the three divisions as well as workshops and production units. Of the nearly 400 contractual appointments, 200 have been made in the Prayagraj division, 100 in the Jhansi division and 63 in the Agra division, and additional opportunities have also been created in workshops and production units in Jhansi.

Sharma said that apart from the contractual workforce, the NCR has 784 permanent employees with disabilities, including 15 who were appointed during 2025-26.