AC Coaches Turned General: Senior Citizens and Women Struggle on Gorakhpur-Pune Express
Sumit Singh
Pune/Gorakhpur, 8th December 2023: The Gorakhpur-Pune Express (15029) journey on December 7 (Thursday) turned into a harrowing ordeal for passengers, exposing a litany of issues plaguing the train’s operation. Reports flooded social media platforms detailing a spectrum of distressing incidents that transpired throughout the journey, painting a grim picture of mismanagement and chaos.
As the train commenced its journey from Gorakhpur, passengers’ grievances began to surface, with numerous accounts of overcrowding overwhelming the compartments. Despite possessing valid tickets, travelers found themselves unable to secure their designated seats due to the uncontrolled surge of passengers cramming every available space.
One passenger, Alok Tripathi, took to Twitter to express his dismay, stating, “I experienced poor service while traveling on the 15029 GKP-Pune Express. Despite having a confirmed ticket, I couldn’t occupy my seat due to the large crowd in the train. Consequently, I had to choose another coach to board the train.”
Adding to the dismay, unauthorized individuals seized entire compartments, impeding rightful passengers from boarding the train. The consequent chaos led to a disheartening scenario where families were forcibly separated, with some passengers even missing the train entirely due to the sheer volume of unauthorized occupants.
Reports also shed light on the train’s abysmal hygiene and sanitation standards. Distressed passengers voiced their discontent over the lack of cleanliness and hygiene facilities, accentuating the dire need for improved maintenance and sanitation measures within the train.
Another passenger, Sudhir Gupta, took to social media to tweet, “Train No 15029 TT is checking ticket with private staff without dress code and ID card. Hashing people for not holding aadhar in physical, they denied for E aadhar in mobile. And other things which I can’t write here. One TT with Private Staff Ask with passengers.”
Further exacerbating the situation, the accountability and professionalism of the train staff were called into question. Allegations surfaced regarding ticket checks conducted by personnel without proper identification or adherence to standard protocols, adding fuel to the fire of passenger dissatisfaction.
@RailwaySeva train number 15029 Gkp- pune express, is having lots of unreserved passengers forcefully travelling in coaches, also the washroom is unable to be used. Pnr number 2529673215
— अनुज (@winanuj) December 8, 2023
Moreover, the blatant disregard for compartment segregation, where AC fare-paying passengers were compelled to endure the conditions of general compartments, raised concerns about the fair provision of services commensurate with the ticket prices paid.
PNR : 4452585098
Train no. 15029
Unauthorised person has occupied whole SL coach, me and my family couldn't board the train. TTE grabbed my parents and pulled them off the train. We missed our train. I need a solution .@RailMadad @AshwiniVaishnaw pic.twitter.com/5wn5eABMrF— Alpha RailVision (@ARailvision) December 7, 2023
Passengers, speaking to Punekar News, highlighted the distress faced by senior citizens and female travelers in the third AC coaches due to the over rush caused by unauthorized passengers. The heavy crowd has made it exceedingly difficult for these groups to navigate to the washrooms, exacerbating their challenges during the journey.
@Drm_lko
Train No 15029
TT is checking ticket with private staff without dress code and ID card .
Hashing people for not holding aadhar in physical, they dinied for E aadhar in mobile.
And other things which I can't write here.
One TT with Private Staff
Ask with passengers— SUDHIR GUPTA (@SUDHIRPREMGUPTA) December 7, 2023
