A Journey of 3 Years, 8 Months, and 7 Days: The Longest Train Delay in India
A Journey of 3 Years, 8 Months, and 7 Days: The Longest Train Delay in India.
In India, train delays are quite common, often lasting 8 to 10 hours. However, one particular journey exceeded all expectations.
A train took over three years to reach its destination, marking a bizarre yet intriguing chapter in the history of Indian Railways. A goods wagon traveling from Visakhapatnam to Basti in Uttar Pradesh took nearly four years to arrive, making it the most delayed train in Indian Railways history. The total time for this journey was 3 years, 8 months, and 7 days.
The goods train wagon, which was carrying 1,316 bags of Di-ammonium Phosphate (DAP) fertilizer, left the station on November 10, 2014, and finally reached Basti railway station on July 25, 2018. Even the railway officials and staff were astonished by the delay. This journey shattered all records, taking more than 3.5 years to complete a trip that usually takes 42 hours and 13 minutes.
The consignee, Ramchandra Gupta, a businessman from Basti, had booked the wagon in his name in 2014 through Indian Potash Limited (IPL) from Visakhapatnam. The train, which was carrying goods valued at over Rs 14 lakhs, left Visakhapatnam on schedule, with a typical travel time of 42 hours. However, the train did not arrive as expected. When the train failed to reach Basti in November 2014, Ramchandra Gupta reached out to the railway authorities and submitted several written complaints. Despite his many attempts to notify them, no action was taken. It was later revealed that the train had gone missing during its journey.
The Chief Public Relations Officer of the North Eastern Railway zone, Sanjay Yadav, mentioned that when a wagon or bogie becomes unfit for use, it is typically sent to the yard, which seems to be what happened in this situation as well. Following an investigation, the train carrying fertilizers finally reached Basti railway station in Uttar Pradesh in July 2018. However, there was no clear information regarding the reasons for the train’s delay or disappearance during that time. Due to this significant delay, fertilizers valued at 14 lakhs became unusable.
This incident has been noted as the longest delayed train journey in the history of Indian Railways.
