PUNE: Passengers arriving early at the Pune railway station to board the 8.55pm Pune-Danapur Express are facing immense hardships because they are prohibited from entering the platform till three hours before the scheduled departure of the train.
Currently, only the Pune-Danapur Express originates from the Pune railway station. However, seven other passing trains stop at Pune. Many Bihar-bound passengers arrive in the city on these trains to take the Pune-Danapur Express, but they are told to leave the platform with the authorities locking the premises owing to the Covid-19 pandemic. The gates are opened only three hours before the arrival and departure of trains.
Saqib Anwar, a resident of Samastipur district in Bihar, had to wait outside the Pune station for close to 15 hours last week after arriving by the Hazrat Nizamuddin Express at 3am. He had no money to put up at a hotel.
“We are daily wagers and going home on holiday. The station authorities told us to vacate the premises as soon as we got down from the train,” Anwar told TOI.
“If passengers are not allowed to wait at the platform, the authorities should at least arrange for some basic facilities. There are no toilets and women passengers face a lot of inconveniences,” said another passenger.
Many passengers waiting for the train are forced to take shelter at a nearby bus stop. “The railway authorities can at least arrange for mobile toilets,” said Nazuim Khan, another daily wage worker.
“Most of us have medical certificates and there are temperature checks at the station during entry and exit. We should be allowed to sit at designated spots on the platform under supervision. We can then at least use the washrooms and buy food from the stalls,” he added.
Pune railway division’s public relations officer Manoj Jhawar said, “The decision of not allowing anyone to enter the platform has come from headquarters. The railways cannot take the responsibility of passengers once they are out of the station. At present, there is no proposal to arrange facilities for waiting passengers on the station premises. The main entrance is opened three hours before the arrival and the departure of trains,” he said.
Resident deputy collector Jayashree Katara told TOI that the district administration was not aware of the issue. “If this is the case, we will have to speak to the railway authorities,” she said.
Harsha Shah, president, Railway Pravasi Group, said it was the duty of the railways to take care of their passengers.
Currently, only the Pune-Danapur Express originates from the Pune railway station. However, seven other passing trains stop at Pune. Many Bihar-bound passengers arrive in the city on these trains to take the Pune-Danapur Express, but they are told to leave the platform with the authorities locking the premises owing to the Covid-19 pandemic. The gates are opened only three hours before the arrival and departure of trains.
Saqib Anwar, a resident of Samastipur district in Bihar, had to wait outside the Pune station for close to 15 hours last week after arriving by the Hazrat Nizamuddin Express at 3am. He had no money to put up at a hotel.
“We are daily wagers and going home on holiday. The station authorities told us to vacate the premises as soon as we got down from the train,” Anwar told TOI.
“If passengers are not allowed to wait at the platform, the authorities should at least arrange for some basic facilities. There are no toilets and women passengers face a lot of inconveniences,” said another passenger.
Many passengers waiting for the train are forced to take shelter at a nearby bus stop. “The railway authorities can at least arrange for mobile toilets,” said Nazuim Khan, another daily wage worker.
“Most of us have medical certificates and there are temperature checks at the station during entry and exit. We should be allowed to sit at designated spots on the platform under supervision. We can then at least use the washrooms and buy food from the stalls,” he added.
Pune railway division’s public relations officer Manoj Jhawar said, “The decision of not allowing anyone to enter the platform has come from headquarters. The railways cannot take the responsibility of passengers once they are out of the station. At present, there is no proposal to arrange facilities for waiting passengers on the station premises. The main entrance is opened three hours before the arrival and the departure of trains,” he said.
Resident deputy collector Jayashree Katara told TOI that the district administration was not aware of the issue. “If this is the case, we will have to speak to the railway authorities,” she said.
Harsha Shah, president, Railway Pravasi Group, said it was the duty of the railways to take care of their passengers.
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