Railways’ Summer Expansion Fails to Curb Overcrowding Woes 

As summer sets in, Indian Railways has beefed up its train services for three months, starting from April, aiming to accommodate the surge in passenger numbers. However, the move has fallen short of addressing the persistent issue of overcrowding on trains.

Railway authorities attribute the overcrowding to the seasonal spike in travel during the summer months and the influx of people heading back to their hometowns to participate in the Lok Sabha elections. To address the rush, the Railways announced 18 summer special trains, primarily serving destinations in the northern regions.

#Railways ' Summer Expansion Fails to Curb Overcrowding Woes#summer #traincrowd https://t.co/2eFIZnzkIi pic.twitter.com/X9EMPGg4pk

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Social media platforms are flooded with images depicting the cramped conditions inside trains and on station platforms. Many passengers have voiced their discontent, highlighting the Railways’ failure to prevent overcrowding. Despite advancements like the #VandeBharat trains, passengers, particularly from the lower and middle classes, continue to struggle for seats.

This year, Indian Railways is witnessing an unprecedented number of additional train trips during summer, totalling 9,111 trips nationwide. The Central Railways alone is operating around 488 additional trips, with a significant portion originating from the Pune division.

The last week’s official data reveals a total of 16 trains operating weekly, including regular, weekly, and special trains. However, the schedules for special trains vary from April to June.

The surge in travel can be attributed not only to the summer season but also to the ongoing election season. Political representatives and workers are booking tickets in bulk for poll-related travel, further exacerbating the overcrowding issue.

Each train is operating at or beyond capacity, accommodating over 1,000 passengers on average. Despite efforts to curb overcrowding by halting ticket sales once bookings exceed capacity, many passengers still board trains without tickets.

Milind Hirve, Senior Divisional Commercial Manager, Pune Division, emphasized the challenges in managing unreserved coaches, stating the lack of an equivalent system to monitor occupancy. Despite these challenges, the Railways continue to grapple with overcrowding during the peak travel season.