The horrific railway accident at Odisha’s Balasore continues to have its reverberations. That there are 50 unidentified remains of the dead passengers exposes the dangers of travel in packed general or unreserved compartments where identity is difficult to establish if anything goes wrong.
While the Railway Board, post the accident, had instructed “affordable meals, drinking water and vending trolleys near unreserved coaches at all stoppages” and “ensure cleanliness and availability of drinking water enroute”, the elephant in the room is ‘overcrowding’.
If the AC first class can accommodate 18-24 berths (depending on the conventional ICF or new LHB coaches), 2AC 48-54 berths, 3AC 64-72 berths, and sleeper coaches 72-80 berths, the unreserved compartment seats 90 but, more than double the number usually travel in it.
South Central Railway carries about 10.5 lakh passengers a day of which 8.5 lakh travel in unreserved coaches and this. includes MMTS/passenger trains. From among the 8.5 lakh about two lakh travel in general coaches of express trains.
Tickets for general compartments are issued till the train leaves the originating station and enroute stoppage stations without any limit. “We cannot refuse issuing a general ticket though we warn them the train is full but, most are ready to rough it out even if it means sitting in the passageway or even inside toilets,” explain railway officials, on the condition of anonymity.
This is quite common in express trains towards the North and East like Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Bengal and other places almost throughout the year or even for trains towards Andhra Pradesh, Kerala, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu where reserved coaches too are booked 90 days in advance.
Railway security personnel try to ensure an orderly entry through the queue for general compartments as passengers start arriving many hours before the scheduled departure in the hope of getting a foothold at the originating station. “Most passengers in general compartments travel in groups and plead with our security to allow them inside though it is full. Travelling for 30-40 hours in such coaches is a nightmare for sure,” senior officials say.
One reason for general compartments being crowded is railways has been reducing their number in the last few years, from an average four to two plus a guard or parcel loading or ladies/disabled coach, pushing in more 3AC coaches where it earns a profit in an average 24 coach train fitting into an elevated platform.
“Fare in AC coaches is three or more times when compared to a general compartment so many long distance passengers cannot afford while short distance passengers opt convenience to travel in them,” they said. Another reason why there are so many unclaimed bodies or remains of the dead passengers in the Odisha accident is passenger particulars are not taken when the ticket is purchased for unreserved compartments.
“Unclaimed bodies or remains in the Balasore mishap shows that the families concerned could have no idea of what had happened till date,” accept railway officials. Post COVID-19, the Indian Railways have stopped running the totally unreserved general compartment trains called ‘Jan Sadaran’ trains (considered as “loss” making) while many passenger trains were converted into express trains reducing general coaches and increasing speeds despite being aware punctuality cannot be maintained on the clogged sections, it is pointed out. It is therefore imperative railways bring back the ‘Jan Sadaran’ trains to meet the demand, they add.
