Booking a confirmed ticket on the Indian Railways website is like winning a lottery; but if one misses the train only due to overcrowding at the railway station, it is enough to make any saint swear.
This is what happened to 27-year-old Anshul Sharma who had a confirmed 3-tier AC ticket to his hometown in Ratlam, Madhya Pradesh. He could not board the train from Vadodara railway station because it was overcrowded.
His attempt to raise his concern with the passenger helpline centres proved futile. “Tickets were raised and declared resolved without even providing a solution,” he said.
Venting his frustration, Sharma lashed out at the Indian Railways for ‘ruining his Diwali’ and tagged Union railway minister Ashwini Vaishnaw on X, demanding a full refund of Rs 1173.95.
“PNR 8900276502 Indian Railways Worst management Thanks for ruining my Diwali. This is what you get even when you have a confirmed 3rd AC ticket. No help from the Police. Many people like me were not able to board. @AshwiniVaishnaw I want a total refund of ₹1173.95 @DRMBRCWR,” he wrote on X and posted videos of the overcrowded train.
“The labour crowd thrown me out of the train. They locked the doors and they did not let anyone enter into the train. Police said clearly no to help me and started laughing at the situation,” Sharma wrote on X.
Incidents of overcrowding at railway stations were reported on the eve of Diwali. Many videos have come forward where passengers can be seen literally hanging on the door as there is no space. A 40-year-old man died following overcrowding and chaos at Surat railway station. Passengers suffered panic attacks and dizziness due to the huge rush.
