Over 2,500 passengers left stranded after train staff say duty hours over
The incident occurred at Burhwal junction of Barabanki district in Uttar Pradesh on November 29, Times of India reported.
Passengers had to face a lot of hassle as there was no water, food or power supply inside the train. They staged a protest, and came onto the rail track blocking the movement of an express train.
It involved the Saharsa — New Delhi Special Fare Chhath Puja Special (04021) and the Barauni-Lucknow Junction Express (15203).
Hours later, the North Eastern Railway (NER) deployed staff from Gonda Junction to address the situation on both express trains and restore order.
As per the railway authorities, the 04021, scheduled to depart on November 27 at 7:15 pm, eventually left Saharsa on November 28 at 9:30 am, arriving in Gorakhpur over 19 hours behind schedule. Although the express was not supposed to halt at Burhwal Junction, it unexpectedly stopped around 1:15 pm.
The second train, Barauni, already delayed by more than five hours and 30 minutes, reached Burhwal Junction at 4:04 pm, with train staff also abandoning the locomotive engine.
A passenger traveling from Saharsa to New Delhi expressed frustration, stating, «Our journey was supposed to conclude in a maximum of 25 hours and 20 minutes, but it has become the third day on this so-called 'special train.' This is a special kind of torture created by Indian Railways for passengers like us.
There is a lack of water, no pantry car for food, and no power supply. Both the loco-pilots and the train guard have disembarked from the train, citing drowsiness.»
