Passengers left stranded as special Maha Kumbh trains hit services
Several regular trains passing through Rohtak Junction have been cancelled to make way for special Maha Kumbh trains, which are being run to accommodate devotees. As a result, passengers of the cancelled trains have been diverted to the few remaining trains, leading to overcrowding and inconvenience for travellers, especially women, children and elderly.
Basant Jain, a train passengers' rights activist who has been commuting between Rohtak and Delhi for nearly three decades, shared his concerns: “The experience has been harrowing. It’s suffocating to travel in jam-packed trains and the women, children, and elderly are the worst affected."
Shishpal, a regular commuter, highlighted the chaotic scenes at the Rohtak and other stations on the way to Delhi: "Sometimes it feels like a stampede is about to happen due to the heavy rush of passengers."
Savita, waiting for a train at Rohtak station, added, “The cancellation of trains is causing a lot of inconvenience. The remaining trains are grossly overcrowded."
Rohtak Railway Station Superintendent Balram Meena acknowledged the cancellations but assured that the situation was under control.
"It is not that bad. The heavy rush of passengers during the arrival and departure of trains is a common affair. An alert was sounded after the stampede incident at Delhi railway station, but the situation is under control here," says Meena.
Government Railway Police (GRP) SHO Brijpal Singh confirmed that additional personnel have been deployed to manage the crowd and maintain order during the ongoing rush of passengers.
