CR spoils Diwali festivities as city bound trains ex-Pune cancelled

Staff Reporter

Bet on Indian Railways to derail the long drawn-up holiday plans and spoil the festive mood of Indians. While earlier South East Central Railway (SECR) spoiled Durga holiday by cancellation of trains, now its turn of Central Railway to do the same. During Diwali festival period, the biggest and most significant event, Railways has announced last minute cancellation of trains on Pune-Nagpur-Pune route. This is one of the busiest route and all the train run jam packed throughout the year as many youth from region are either pursuing higher studies or working in IT and manufacturing sector in Pune region.

A communiqué from Central Railway mentioned that a block is being taken between Kashti and Belwandi in Solapur Division for electronic inter-locking work that would disrupt the movement of long distance Mail/Express and passenger trains. All the trains ex-Nagpur are going to be affected for varying period and some of them just around the start of Diwali festival. Though there are some long distance trains to Pune but the station quote in same is quite less to cater to such huge demand. These trains originates from Eastern Railway and SECR Zones and run behind the schedule most of the times.

It’s a well-known fact that large number students haling from Nagpur and other parts of Vidarbha are studying in Pune head home for Diwali, as it is a must. Apart from them most of natives are working in Pune and for them also presence at home for Diwali has been a long drawn tradition in families. So most of them book tickets well in advance, on the opening day, which is about 120-days. Now for all such travellers the Central Railway has dished out a very dry and cold dish by leaving them in lurch at last minute.

Another fact is that the bus operators have already jacked-up fares on Pune-Nagpur and Nagpur-Pune route and rates are being quoted around Rs 5,000. With CR's block the ticket rates might zoom in four digits, fear the travellers. Moreover riding in the luxury buses is quite risky as operators in a bid to encash the festive mood maximise on speed and throw safety norms to wind while operating on Pune-Nagpur-Pune route during this season to book maximum profit.

Satish Yadav, Member, Zonal Railway Users Consultative Committee (ZRUCC), Central Railway, said this is nothing but mental harassment being played upon hapless travellers on part of railways. How come railway officials remember block during the festival season and that too when it is all important for people to be at home as part of long honoured tradition.

Secondly, Yadav said Railways as per extant policy will deduct clerical charges, Rs. 30 to 60, while refunding the fare to travellers in lieu of cancellation of trains. So in a way travellers are going to be hit by double whammy, not only deprived of festival at home with family members plus also bear financial loss while Railways mint money at expense of passengers.

Echoing same feeling, Brij Bhushan Shukla, Member, ZRUCC, Central Railway, said such last minute cancellation of Mail/Express trains needs to be avoided as it leaves a bad taste among travellers. And this is not the first time that Railways is indulging in such act, previously same was done at time of Rakshabandhan and later during Puja festival as if travellers interest are secondary. Agreed that infrastructure works are needed to be completed in time, but not at cost of disrupting carefully drawn-up schedule of citizens.

Shukla called on Krishnath Patil, Sr. Divisional Commercial Manager (Sr. DCM), CR, Nagpur Division, and submitted a memorandum demanding reconsidering such long disruption during Diwali time on Pune-Nagpur route. He also suggested running train ex-Pune to Nagpur via Kolhapur or Mumbai route to avoid inconvenience to travellers.