Kottayam: Overcrowded reservation coaches have become a common sight in many trains running in the state. The pictures of people sleeping on the floor of the Kochuveli – Mysuru Express have been doing the rounds on social media. However, the authorities seem to turn a blind eye to this issue which might even pose a safety risk. Passengers complain that commuters who do not have reserved seats enter the reservation coaches and insist on sharing the seats. The Indian Railways, which reduced the number of general coaches isn’t able to promise ‘shubyatra’ (happy or safe journey) even to the passengers who have reserved seats.
Not enough general coaches
It was a few days ago that a TTE was pushed to death from a running train by a guest worker for asking the latter to show his ticket. This incident has ignited conversations about how train journeys have become unsafe even for the reservation coaches. However, the passengers allege that the authorities are not ready to learn any lesson from such incidents. Meanwhile, some passengers say that they have no other way but to travel in reservation coaches without proper tickets as there aren’t enough general coaches, and the journeys are often unavoidable.
Railway employees also suffer
The number of deaths by falling from overcrowded general coaches too has been going up. Last week, a passenger in the Sabari Express had fallen into the Kallada River. Besides, lots of people have been sustaining injuries. The government is making a move to increase the number of premium trains and AC coaches even as they fail to arrange the bare minimum facilities for the passengers. J Leons the secretary of Friends on Rail calls this cruelty and adds that even the railway employees often fell victim to such apathy from the authorities. He notes that the Railways’ decision to cut down the number of general compartments is the reason why TTEs get attacked in trains and passengers fall off to death, without anyone knowing, from the overcrowded general compartments.
“The common railway passengers have just one thing to say to the Prime Minister who is busy flagging off Vande Bharat trains, seeing the upcoming Lok Sabha elections and the Railway Minister who boasts of Indian Railway’s glory on social media. We do not want premium trains! Common people like us cannot afford the luxurious travelling experience that is offered on such trains. Please ensure a decent journey, for the ticket that we purchase, at least in the general compartment,” says Leons.
Vande Bharat won't solve common man's problem
The passengers implore the railway authorities to open their eyes and see how difficult and unsafe train journeys have become. They think that the problems of the common railway passengers wouldn’t be solved by allowing a few Vande Bharat trains. It is the regular passengers who bear the brunt of reducing the general compartments and turning them into reservation coaches.
Meanwhile, passengers Bijo and his wife Susan cannot forget the harrowing journey in the Kochuveli – Mysuru Express. They recall that the reservation compartment was more crowded than a general compartment. The four-member group couldn’t even find their way to the seats as passengers were sleeping on the floor. When they realised that those people were the passengers from the general compartment who ‘took over’ the reservation coach as the general compartments were full, Bijo, Susan and their friends couldn’t do anything except hold their heavy luggage and spend the entire journey staying near the door.
Allow more MEMU services
It is a fact that this is the situation in most trains running during the day. Passengers are unhappy that the railway authorities continue to ignore their pleas. They complain that even the elected representatives fail to effectively interfere in this matter. Various passenger organisations demand to increase in the number of general compartments, considering the difficulties faced by the passengers. Besides, the passengers requested to allow more MEMU services by making the MEMU sheds at Kollam and Palakkad fully functional.
