Railways finding difficult to handle surging passenger crowds inside long-distance trains

The railways are finding it difficult to handle the surging passenger crowds inside long-distance trains. The waitlisted tickets are running in hundreds while people are travelling inside jam-packed sleeper coaches which have become the new General compartment inside regular long-distance trains. This is the situation despite Central and Western Railways operating more than 1000 Summer special trains over the last couple of months.

The General coaches in regular trains will start from June end; although it is available in Summer special trains. The railways are increasing summer special trains and even carrying out surprise ticket checks as well. Despite Central Railway operating 638 Summer special trains while Western Railway is running 440 Summer special trains; people continue to spend a lot of time waiting in the queue to buy a confirmed ticket.

"The waitlisted tatkal ticket started reflecting within 30 seconds of booking. I was waiting for 2 days yet could not get a confirmed ticket," said Tabarak Hussain, who wanted to go to Gorakhpur. At most the terminus stations of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus, Kurla Lokmanya Tilak Terminus, Bandra Terminus and Mumbai Central Terminus are filled with Passengers who have confirmed and waitlisted tickets. Sources in the railways said that people are buying tatkal tickets for 2 members and the rest of them travel in waitlisted tickets.

"The reason being when they are checked by ticket checking staffs, these families request them to levy fines but allow them to travel with their family members who have received confirmed tickets," said a senior railway official.

This is the reason behind crowded Sleeper coaches found inside long-distance trains despite hundreds of Summer special trains being operated in addition to the regular ones. A regular Sleeper coach has 72 seats allotted though there are well over 100-150 passengers travelling with or without valid tickets.

For instance the Central Railway will add 12 more Summer special trains to their already running 626 originating summer special trains. These are namely to clear extra rush going to northern states of Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Rajasthan and others.

Passengers are complaining that touts and agents book tickets within a matter of seconds. According to Western Railway, they are conducting regular ticket checking drives to keep a check on unauthorized travelling. With these intensive drives with a strength of almost 2100 Ticket Checking staff, WR recovered Rs 21.82 crore for irregular travel from 3.10 lakh cases of Ticketless and Irregular Travel.

"During the checks conducted in April about 3.10 lakh cases of ticketless and irregular travel including unbooked luggage cases were detected, resulting in a recovery of Rs 21.82 crore. Also, 183 beggars were apprehended & evicted; 99 unauthorized hawkers were also apprehended, out of which, 20 were charged and an amount of around Rs 5,300 was realized as Railway dues," said a WR official.

In the month of April, 54 intensive checks were conducted against touts and other anti-social elements. As a result, 217 persons were apprehended and prosecuted under various sections of the Railways Act 1989 and Rs. 24,800 was recovered from them as court fines.

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