Indian Rail “way” - collects money and forgets passenger

We are in Rajamundry railway station at 6.45 PM after a tiring and hectic Pushkar yatra in Rajahmundry to board Seshadri express from Kakinada to Bangalore. After checking in enquiry counter, we got to know that train will be arriving at 7 PM. But there is no announcement about the train even after 8. The entire platform is filled with passengers and there is not even an inch of space to move. With the temperature at 33 degree Celsius, the sultriness causes high humidity making the kids uneasy.

On reaching the enquiry counter, we were informed that the train would arrive at 8.30 PM. Once again there is no announcement even after 9'o clock. When we checked with a co-passenger, he informed us that his scheduled train of 2 PM had not arrived yet. After a while, the trains that were scheduled at 2 PM and later were arriving with 4 hour interval. Our train reached at 10.45 PM which caused to miss the Bangalore-Delhi flight next day evening - a loss of half a lakh rupees. Who is responsible for this?

South central railway that collects huge revenue than any other railway zones has failed miserably to help the Yatris in Pushkarams. We are the only people in the south with highest number of passengers who purchase platform tickets. But we always are at the receiving end of railway services and packages whether it is a new railway zone creation or commencement of a new a train at our arrival and destination locations, timings and platform extensions. We are least preferred by Indian railway for any benefit for that matter.

Every one knows that SC RLY has to play a vital role in the safe movement of passengers. Special trains were announced for pushkarams but that too at inconvenient timings in Rajahmundry station. Thus, making the regular train schedule a havoc. Almost all trains reaching Rajahmundry are running with 3- 4 hours delay from the beginning of the pushkarams. The delay is not due to late alighting and boarding the train in the station but due to poor track management and scheduling. These delays are causing the railway station to get crowded and with 10 trains at once in the platform is causing inconvenience for the passengers.

In spite of having mobile number activation for reserved passengers, railways don't inform the delay of the trains through SMS alerts which can avoid unnecessary crowd assembling on platforms. Railways have so many options and can also utilise All india radio and local CCTV CABLE to relay train delays at Rajahmundry station for Pushkar yatris. The information can be relayed through digital boards/enquiry centres at bathing ghats so that people will not assemble more on platforms.

More over scheduling all trains going towards VIJAYAWADA only on platform no.1 which makes the platform severely crowded. Instead they can put up another platform which is very much available in Rajahmundry station so that crowd can be split.

GM of SC RLY demanded Rs 20 crore towards scrap cost to provide the abandoned Havelock bridge to AP TOURISM but smooth and efficient management is not being yielded that could garner more revnue on the eve of pushkarams. With customers not being provided basic amenities, its luck that there have been no accidental deaths in Rajahmundry railway station due this mis management. Hope atleast now they will wake up and take precautions to avoid another tragedy in Rajahmundry due to crowd stampede on Railway platform.

By Raghu Bhushan Eranki [RAJAHMUNDRY]