‘Record 411mn took train journeys so far this April’
NEW DELHI: At least 411 million passengers have taken train journeys across India in the first three weeks of April – making it the highest ever footfall recorded in this time period – as the usual heavy rush this time of the year due to summer vacations has been severely compounded by the onset of the wedding season, and the ongoing elections, Indian Railways (IR) officials said. This unexpected rush has caused problems, with resources stretched thin, and social media platforms replete with videos of people crammed inside coaches in desperation to travel by any means.
Passenger trains carried around 370 million passengers in the same period last year, while this figure was 350 million in 2019, the last time footfall was not impacted by the Covid-19 pandemic, according to IR officials.
“Indian Railways carried 411.6 million passengers between April 1 and 21, out of which 33.8 million passengers were ferried in just the last two days – April 20 and 21 – when this rush has picked up pace,” a railway board official said, asking not to be identified.
This has meant that stations have witnessed unprecedented rush as people with unreserved tickets flocked trains in desperation, entering not only the sleeper class coaches but also AC coaches.
Videos on social media show trains packed far beyond capacity with hundreds of people sitting on floors, aisles and even in toilets, and long queues seen outside compartments with people trying to barge into coaches.
The issue was highlighted on X where passengers posted clips of their ordeals. In one of the videos posted on April 13, unserved passengers of Kaifiyaat Superfast express entered the 3AC coach and locked the door, not allowing reserved passengers to take seats. The video showed passengers outside breaking the door’s glass in an attempt to board the train. In another video, unreserved passengers were seen seated near the lavatory area of an AC coach.
While railways spokesperson remained unavailable for an official statement, the official cited above said: “The video that showed the Old Delhi-Azamgarh train that also has a halt at Ayodhya Dham station went viral on April 13 after which Northern Railways was asked to investigate the matter. It was, however, learnt that the video was of an old incident that is believed to have taken place on March 26 – a day after Holi.”
The issue also took a political turn when opposition leaders tweeted the video. In a post on X which was also shared by Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, party leader Rahul Gandhi shared the video and said rail travel had become a punishment. A second railways official however said that the opposition party was misleading the country by posting “old and faulty” videos.
Indian Railways said on Friday that it has increased train trips by 43% and deployed a record number of additional trains to deal with the spike in demand.
“The additional trains have been meticulously planned to connect key destinations across the country, ensuring seamless travel on major railway routes. All zonal railways spread across India have geared up to operate these additional trips, catering to the summer travel rush from states like Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Odisha, West Bengal, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Delhi,” IR stated.
However, the experience on the ground remained chaotic.
Ekta Devi, a Delhi resident who travelled in Bihar Sampark Kranti Express on April 17 said, “I had to travel to Samastipur to attend my brother’s wedding. The rush this time was never before. Out of the seven tickets, only three could be confirmed while the rest of us had to share the seats.”
Shiv Gopal Mishra, general secretary of the All India Railwaymen Federation (AIRF) said, “Two reasons for the exceptional passenger footfall is the fewer number of wedding days this summer and higher passenger rush believed to travel to Bihar and UP for elections.” Migrant workers from both states, working around India, return home to cast their votes.
“The wedding days typically begin from mid April and continue till June every year. However, this year the auspicious days are limited to the month end or maximum till the first few days of May. This has caused the numbers to be highest up till now,” added.
“During the ongoing summer rush, IR has introduced daily special trains based on the passenger rush at the stations today (on Monday),” Prem Shanjkar Jha, advisor to Delhi divisional railway manager (DRM) said. He also said that TTEs have been instructed to ensure that no unreserved passenger is able to enter the reserved coaches. “We have hence instructed zonal Railways to ensure the availability of drinking water at stations,” the official said.
VIDEOS ON SOCIAL MEDIA SHOW TRAINS PACKED FAR BEYOND CAPACITY WITH HUNDREDS OF PEOPLE SITTING ON FLOORS, AISLES AND EVEN IN TOILETS