KOZHIKODE: Train journeys, especially in general compartments, continue to be a harrowing experience for the people of north Kerala. In the latest such incident, many general ticket holders who boarded the sleeper coaches of Netravati Express due to crowding in the general compartments were reportedly forced to get down at Kozhikode railway station by a travelling ticket examiner (TTE) on Saturday evening.
Most of these passengers were travelling to Kannur and Kasaragod. The incident led to a minor scuffle between the passengers and the TTE.
Although rules don’t allow general ticket holders to travel in sleeper coaches, some passengers said they could have been permitted to board the reserved coaches at least till Kannur considering their plight.
When the Mumbai-bound train reached Kozhikode, more than 100 unreserved ticket holders were waiting there. Since the two general compartments were already crowded, many passengers boarded the adjacent sleeper compartment. However, during inspection by TTE, general ticket holders were forced to get down from the sleeper coaches. According to passengers, even women carrying babies weren’t allowed to travel.
‘Reduced number of coaches troubling train pax’
“The general ticket holders included many women and senior citizens. As the general coaches were overcrowded, the only option for us was to board an adjacent sleeper coach. The TTE could have allowed us to travel standing in the sleeper coach till Kannur,” said Prasad N, a general ticket holder.
The passengers to Kannur who had to alight the train waited for another hour at the station to catch the next train. But many who had to travel till Kasaragod did not get a train until late night. In the meantime, some took buses to reach their destinations.
CE Chakkunny, working chairman of the Confederation of All India Rail Users’ Association, said though rules don’t allow general passengers to enter the sleeper coaches, what happened on Saturday evening was inhuman. “Passengers, including women and children, till Kannur could have been allowed to travel in the coach, considering the safety of women or the plight of the passengers,” he said.
“Currently, train journeys in Malabar region kindle memories of the Wagon Tragedy. The railway authorities have reduced the number of sleeper and general coaches to increase the number of AC coaches in several express trains. We will continue to put pressure on the authorities to allocate more passenger trains to north Kerala and increase general coaches in express trains,” he added.
Meanwhile, the Railways has sanctioned two additional general coaches each in Kannur Express, Cheruvathur Express, Special Coimbatore Express, Mangaluru Express, Special Mangaluru Express and Kozhikode Express. A few weeks ago, the number of coaches was increased in eight select trains.