Festival rush derails passengers’ plans

LUDHIANA: Introduction of several festival special trains, augmentation of passenger carrying capacity of long-distance trains and increase in the run (trips) of special trains by the Northern Railway authorities seem to have provided little or no relief to passengers if long waiting lists and unavailability of confirmed seats/berths in most of the trains is any indication.

Passengers wait for trains at the railway station in Ludhiana on Monday. Photo: Inderjeet Verma

Kuldip Bhatia

Ludhiana, October 19

Introduction of several festival special trains, augmentation of passenger carrying capacity of long-distance trains and increase in the run (trips) of special trains by the Northern Railway authorities seem to have provided little or no relief to passengers if long waiting lists and unavailability of confirmed seats/berths in most of the trains is any indication.

As major festivals of Durga Puja, Diwali and Chath Puja draw near, there is a virtual scramble for getting railway reservation for different destinations in Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, West Bengal, Maharashtra and North East as thousands of migrants, settled in the industrial capital of the state, are keen to visit their native places to spend the festivals with their families.

However, as things stand at present, long waiting lists and even “no room” status (when even waiting list is exhausted) greets the intending passengers who have been visiting the railway reservation centre for days in the hope of getting confirmed tickets.

“There is no chance of a confirmed ticket in the train that I wish to take to be with my family for the festival of Diwali as the waiting list is very long. I cannot take risk to wait for ticket in the tatkal category,” said Munna Lal, who wanted to buy tickets for a train to Gorakhpur.

Many others waiting at the reservation counters intending to travel to destinations such as Samastipur, Saharsa (in Bihar), Gonda (UP), Mumbai and Howrah were also facing a similar dilemma as waiting lists kept growing longer and chances of their getting a ticket more bleak.

Railway officials said some more festival special trains, especially for destinations in Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, were likely to be announced in the next couple of days as the proposal had been sent for the same from Ferozepur division to Northern Railway Headquarters in New Delhi.

Meanwhile, the Railways have announced temporary augmentation of 22462/22461 Mata Vaishno Devi Katra-New Delhi-Mata Vaishno Devi Katra Shree Shakti Express train by one additional AC-3 tier coach from October 15 to November 30. Similarly, the 12265/12266 Delhi Sarai Rohilla-Jammu Tawi-Delhi Sarai Rohilla Duronto Express train will have one additional sleeper class coach from October 16 to November 29.