UP: Train passengers allotted seats that do not exist

Lucknow: In a bizarre incident, a passenger who boarded a train from Lucknow to Varanasi found that he had been allotted a seat that did not exist.

Vijay Kumar Shukla, who was travelling with his brother on Monday, was allotted seat numbers 74 and 75 in the C1 coach of the 14204 Lucknow-Varanasi Intercity Express.

He boarded the train to realise that there were only 73 seats in his coach. He had booked the tickets online through IRCTC.

“A travelling ticket examiner (TTE) told us that such instances are common and that he has complained about the goof-up in ticket bookings to the department concerned and higher officials. But no action was taken so far to resolve the tech glitch,” Shukla added.

He and his brother were allotted different seats later.

The TTE also told him that another coach had 75 seats but the one that Shukla was allotted had only 73.

“As the server shows 75 seats in the coach, 75 people are allotted seats there. The TTE also said that he has been facing the brunt of passengers who shout and hurl abuses at him,” Shukla added.

Taking note of the tech glitch, Ashish Singh, station director of the Charbagh railway station, said: “This problem has been brought to our attention. We have relayed the information to the Centre for Railway Information Systems, responsible for maintaining a majority of key information systems of Indian Railways. If the problem persists, we will look into it.”