Indian Railways Delays Saraighat Express to Help Groom Catch Wedding Train, Sparks Debate
Indian Railways Delays Saraighat Express to Help Groom Catch Wedding Train, Sparks Debate
Indian Railways delayed the Saraighat Express at Howrah station to help a groom and his family catch their connecting train to Guwahati on time. The groom, Chandu Wagh, had reached out on social media, seeking urgent assistance as his train, the Geetanjali Express, was delayed by 3.5 hours.
Wagh’s SOS message, posted on X (formerly Twitter), tagged Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw and the Railway Ministry, requesting help. “Need urgent help, we are a group of 35 people travelling via Geetanjali Express for my marriage. We need to catch Saraighat Express at 4:00 pm, which seems difficult. Kindly help,” he wrote. He also shared photos of his ticket reservations.
Responding to the request, Eastern Railway arranged for the Saraighat Express to be detained at Howrah for a few minutes, allowing the groom’s party to board. “IR arranged to detain Saraighat Express at Howrah for a few minutes so that a marriage party with Dulha coming by Geetanjali Express can catch the train. The marriage party has expressed their thanks,” Eastern Railway posted on X.
The groom later thanked the Railway officials, writing, “I would like to express my deepest gratitude to all involved parties.”
However, the decision sparked mixed reactions online. Some users questioned the fairness of delaying a train for a private party. “Is this fair and legal to detain a train for some people?” one user asked. Others criticized the Railways for celebrating what they saw as a failure in managing train schedules. “If Geetanjali Express was on time, this wouldn’t have happened. Stop patting your own back,” commented another user.
The incident has ignited debate over prioritizing individual requests versus maintaining timely public services.
