COVID-19 lockdown: Trains leave Chennai Central snatching away hopes of migrants

Hundreds of migrant labourers are crowding the Chennai Central as they wait for tickets in the two trains leaving Chennai COVID-19 special train and Dhanbad Express.

As the city goes complete lockdown, a sea of migrant workers thronged Dr MGR Chennai Central Railway Station to catch a train back home. (Photo| Debadatta Mallick, EPS)

CHENNAI: Outside the edifice of the Chennai Central sits Rajesh, a worker from Bihar. For the past six days, he has been desperately trying to get a ticket to Darbhanga, but in vain. He, however, keeps trying, shelling out his hard-earned money to get some space in a home-bound train.

Rajesh, however, is not alone in this ordeal. Hundreds of migrant labourers are crowding the Chennai Central as they wait for tickets in the two trains leaving Chennai COVID-19 special train departing at 3.40 pm and Dhanbad Express departing at 11.05 pm.

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Most often, however, their tickets do not get confirmed. "I did not get my ticket for the Howrah-bound train confirmed on Saturday as well. I am planning to book another ticket by paying Rs 1,000," said Rajesh, who came to Chennai four months ago.

Rajesh and other labourers from Bihar staying outside the railway station are often chased away by railway police personnel, who, on their part, have to enforce protocols.

Most of these labourers take the help of agents to book tickets as they do not know how to do it themselves, and agents do collect a fee. So, when a ticket does not get confirmed and the labourers are forced to cancel it, they lose a considerable sum of money.