Overcrowding in Reserved Sleeper Coaches Sparks Criticism of Indian Railways
Overcrowding in Reserved Sleeper Coaches Sparks Criticism of Indian Railways
A woman recently shared a video on a popular X account highlighting the issue of overcrowding in reserved sleeper coaches on Indian trains. In the video, she shows a fully packed sleeper coach where she had booked a seat, now filled with passengers from the general coach. She expresses frustration over the lack of assistance from the Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC).
Kalesh inside Indian Railways over People are travelling without ticket inside Sleeper-Coach
— Ghar Ke Kalesh (@gharkekalesh) June 9, 2024
pic.twitter.com/9kO6uvv8oA
The video, which has garnered over 590,000 likes since being shared on June 9, criticizes the Railway Ministry for failing to address ongoing issues such as overcrowding, lack of hygiene, and delayed trains.
Many viewers echoed these sentiments, pointing out that despite repeated complaints and incidents, the quality of train travel in India has not seen significant improvement.
An X user wrote, “After Govt formation, the government should take action on this, middle and lower middle class families facing lots of problems due to this. Make a strict rule with that increase of trains or general coaches”
Someone admitted that they were forced to travel without appropriate tickets and wrote, “I have travelled in this way. The reason is simple: When a train is delayed by 10 hrs, what else can be done? I have to travel by train without a ticket! Why should I spend double? Most of the time the general coach is full, how can I travel in it with a suitcase?”
People also criticised the Railways for reportedly selling more and more general tickets regardless of the train capacity and wrote, “This is an issue with the Indian Railway System. They will issue any number of General tickets, what do you expect? People will sit where they will find a place. This is a multi-organisation failure”
The problem is exacerbated by the lack of sufficient trains, delayed schedules, and inadequate supervision by railway authorities, leading to ticketless travel and overcrowded compartments.
