Business · Economy · 2 hrs ago
Railway porters in Uttar Pradesh say modernisation is cutting their income
Railway porters in Uttar Pradesh say they are finding fewer passengers who need help carrying luggage.
Wheeled suitcases, lifts, escalators and battery-powered vehicles have made it easier for passengers to move their own bags.
At Lucknow’s Charbagh station, porter Umesh Maurya says his income has fallen by half and that he is considering buying an electric auto.
Another porter says his son’s tea shop earns nearly four times as much as porter work.
The porters say carrying railway parcels is now one of their main sources of work.
They also say their living quarters have poor sanitation and that they lack basic social security, including pensions.
They are seeking regular railway jobs and limits on battery-operated vehicles and luggage trolleys on platforms, but say authorities have not addressed their concerns.
Railway porters across Uttar Pradesh say modernisation and changing passenger habits have sharply reduced their earnings.
They cite wheeled luggage, lifts, escalators, ramps and battery-powered vehicles as reasons fewer passengers need help carrying bags.
Umesh Maurya, a porter at Lucknow’s Charbagh Railway Station, said he now struggles to find even one passenger a day.
Porters say carrying railway parcels is among the few significant sources of work left to them.
They are seeking regular Indian Railways employment and restrictions or regulation on battery-operated rickshaws and luggage trolleys on platforms.
- Who
- Railway porters across Uttar Pradesh, including workers at Lucknow’s Charbagh Railway Station.
- What
- They say modernisation and changing luggage habits have cut their income and are seeking regular employment and restrictions or regulation on some platform vehicles.
- When
- The report was published on October 12, 2026; porters describe changes over recent decades.
- Where
- Railway stations across Uttar Pradesh, including Charbagh Railway Station in Lucknow.
- Why
- Passengers increasingly use wheeled luggage, lifts, escalators, ramps and battery-powered vehicles instead of hiring porters.
This story does not have two clearly opposing sides.
After 12 years, however, it has become difficult to find even one passenger a day.
The newer infrastructure developed by the Railways over the past 15-years, including lift and escalators, combined with wheeled suitcases, has practically wiped out our job.
While station facilities and premium passenger areas undergo substantial refurbishment, fundamental amenities in the Sahayak quarters, where porters live, have deteriorated, with inadequate sanitation facilities.
For a long time, we have been demanding permanent absorption into regular Indian Railways Group-D employment and restriction or regulation on battery-operated rickshaws and luggage trolleys on the platform.
Porters began assisting passengers with luggage and parcels as part of station operations.
Conventional trunks started being replaced by wheeled suitcases and trolley bags, according to porter Vikash Katiyar.
Katiyar said newer railway infrastructure, including lifts and escalators, had contributed to the decline in porter work.
The Hindu published its report on porters’ declining income and concerns about their future.
- Location
- Railway stations across Uttar Pradesh
- Station
- Charbagh Railway Station, Lucknow
- Umesh Maurya’s experience
- More than 12 years as a porter
- Earlier daily earnings
- Over ₹600, according to Maurya
- Reported income decline
- 50%, according to Maurya
- Alternative business
- Katiyar gave his son ₹80,000 to start a tea shop outside the station
Sources
Related news
Rupee rises about 1% after RBI measures
DMart Q2 profit rises 8.5% as revenue grows 17.8%
Report warns India inflation could reach 7% and require more rate hikes
India Signals 97 as Limit for Rupee Weakness as RBI Steps Up Defense
Swarovski aims to double its India business in four to five years
Zetwerk sets ₹143–₹151 price band for ₹5,012 crore IPO
Tonbo Imaging sets ₹665-₹700 price band for ₹852 crore IPO
India plan aims to cut Basmati shipping costs to Iraq by nearly 74%
Poonawalla Fincorp profit nearly quintuples to ₹375 crore in Q2
India opens dollar window for oil companies to support the rupee
Bhavish Aggarwal pledges Ola Electric shares as the company plans a ₹1,000 crore rights issue
