Diwali travel turned into a nightmare for Anshul Sharma, a 27-year-old passenger from Gujarat, as overcrowded conditions in his air-conditioned coach led to a scathing social media critique and a demand for a ticket refund from the Indian Railways.
Despite holding a confirmed AC ticket, Sharma expressed his frustration on social media platform X, stating, “Thanks for ruining my Diwali. This is what you get even when you have a confirmed 3rd AC ticket. No help from Police. Many people like me were not able to board.” Sharma demanded a total refund of ₹1173.95 for the inconvenience caused.
Videos posted by Sharma depicted a chaotic scene on the platform, with a crowd of passengers struggling to board the overcrowded coach. Describing the ordeal, he mentioned, “The labor crowd thrown me out of the train. They locked the doors and they were not letting anyone enter into the train. Police said clearly no to help me and started laughing at the situation.”
In a direct appeal to the Divisional Railway Manager of Vadodara, Sharma questioned the railway management’s preparedness on the festive day, raising concerns about safety and the overwhelming crowd in AC coaches.
This incident comes amid a significant surge in passenger numbers ahead of Diwali, leading to challenges for the railways in managing the rush. Recently, a tragic incident unfolded at Surat station, where a 40-year-old man lost his life, and two others were hospitalized during the chaos of boarding a special train bound for Bihar.
Responding to such incidents, the Western Railways issued a statement, noting that special trains were arranged from Surat and Udhna to accommodate the festive rush. Security measures, including personnel from the Government Railway Police and Railway Protection Force, were deployed for crowd management. The Western Railway has scheduled 400 trips for 46 pairs of special trains to various destinations, with 27 pairs passing through or starting from Surat and Udhna railway stations. Despite these efforts, incidents like Anshul Sharma’s highlight the need for enhanced management and safety measures during peak travel periods.
Sources By Agencies
