Duty Over !!! 2500 passengers were left stranded by train staff mid journey 

On Wednesday, more than 2,500 passengers were left stranded at Burhwal junction in Uttar Pradesh’s Barabanki district when two express trains experienced issues. The staff of one train said their duty hours were over, while the loco pilot of the other train reported feeling unwell. This left passengers without water, food, or power supply, leading to protests and the blocking of an express train on the rail track.

The affected trains were the Saharsa – New Delhi Special Fare Chhath Puja Special (04021) and Barauni-Lucknow Junction express (15203). The north eastern railway (NER) dispatched staff from Gonda junction to address the situation hours later. The railway acknowledged that 04021 departed Saharsa on November 28 at 9.30am, over 19 hours late, and arrived in Gorakhpur. Although the express was not supposed to stop at Burhwal junction, it made an unscheduled halt around 1:15 pm.

The Barauni train, already delayed by over five and a half hours, finally arrived at Burhwal junction at 4.04 pm. However, the train staff also decided to abandon the locomotive engine, disappointing the passengers.

A passenger traveling from Saharsa to New Delhi expressed frustration that journey was supposed to last a maximum of 25 hours and 20 minutes, but here we are on the third day of this so-called ‘special train’. It feels like the Indian railways have designed this as a special form of torture for poor passengers like us. There is no water, no pantry car to purchase food, and no power supply. Both the loco-pilots and train guard have disembarked from the train, claiming fatigue.