Passengers detain train in Odisha as AC stops working
ROURKELA: Disgruntled over the non-functioning of the air-conditioned (AC) coach, passengers of A-1 compartment of the Coimbatore-Barauni Special stopped the train for nearly two hours at the Rourkela railway station demanding its replacement on Thursday.
Sources said after the train arrived at the station at 4.07 pm, passengers of the said coach got down and lodged an angry protest with the local authorities of the South Eastern Railway (SER) demanding immediate replacement of the coach.
They complained that the AC was not working properly from Vijayawada and stopped working entirely by the time the train left Jharsuguda station. They lambasted the Indian Railways for the suffering adding children and elder passengers were most affected in the sweltering heat.
While no suitable replacement was available at the Rourkela railway station, the train finally left at 5.53 pm after the passengers were assured that the coach would be replaced at Hatia station in Jharkhand, around 160 km from Rourkela. The failure of the AC system was meanwhile attributed to weak and worn out batteries.
Rourkela station manager Pravat Das said the AC of coach A-1 stopped functioning after it left Dhutura station near Jharusuguda adding, they tried replacing the coach at Rourkela but similar coach was not immediately available.
“We have spoken to the authorities of Ranchi Division and they assured us of replacing the coach at Hatia station,” he added.