Diwali rush packs Nagpur station, no room in north-bound trains

Huge crowds of passengers are thronging Nagpur railway station as people try to reach home for Diwali. For thousands of rail travellers, the journey has been nothing short of a struggle. The general and sleeper coaches of regular trains heading to North India have no room even to place a foot.

Railways has claimed that thousands of special trains are being run during the festival season to give passengers relief. But the situation on north-bound trains from Nagpur station shows a different picture. Platforms are overflowing and passengers are jostling to board trains. This has raised questions about the railway's arrangements.

Every year, the railway announces additional trains and firm security arrangements for the festivals. Even so, conditions on the major north-bound trains from Nagpur remain worrying. On trains on the Gorakhpur, Delhi, Lucknow and Patna routes, the crowd is so heavy that even entering a coach has become a challenge. Despite the special trains, the hardship of passengers on regular trains does not appear to be easing.

Train doors have turned into a battleground for passengers. People carrying heavy bags and suitcases are seen trying somehow to get into coaches. There is not an inch of space left in the general and sleeper coaches. Many passengers are forced to travel at risk, holding on to doors and railings. Inside the coaches, there is not even room to move.

Women, children and the elderly are facing the most trouble. Passengers occupy the coach aisles and even the floors, making it difficult to reach the toilets. Getting up from one's place to drink water or attend to other essential needs has also become a challenge. Passengers are suffering greatly from the crowding and suffocation. This has also raised questions about the safety of women and the dignity of passengers.

The crush is not limited to general coaches. Passengers holding reserved tickets in sleeper coaches are also in distress. In many coaches, the presence of passengers who boarded without authorisation is making it difficult to reach reserved seats. There are also complaints of passengers sitting near the toilets and in the aisles of AC coaches.

Passengers have complained that despite such heavy crowds, not enough security personnel are visible on the platforms and around the trains. They say large numbers of people gather at the doors of general coaches, but there is no visible security adequate to control the crowd. In such conditions, the possibility of an untoward incident cannot be ruled out.

The journey has become extremely difficult for passengers who set out to celebrate the festival with their families. Because of the lack of space in coaches, the jostling and the difficulty of reaching basic facilities, the hardship of the journey is outweighing the joy of getting home. Passengers are demanding that the railway, along with additional trains, take effective steps to control crowds on platforms, improve security and restore order inside coaches.