[Resolved]  Indian Railways — Passenger Harrasment

Dear Sir,

This is with reference to PNR No.[protected]. Please note that, though the class was upgraded from 3AC to 2AC (i.e. from B3/4 to A3/41), the passenger (T.Khaitan) was forced by the TT to sit in B1-54. Please refer the attached PNR report.

Please note that the train number in question is 2312 Down Kalka Mail & the relevant travel date being 16/12/2008. Boarding Station - Mughal Sarai (MGS) & Destination Station - Howrah (HWH).

Please note that the passenger in question is a lady (age 50) & was travelling alone with luggage & had no information regarding this upgrade untill boarding of the train.

(Here please note that, an additional Coach B3 is attached to Kalka Mail in Mughal Sarai upon arrival. Thereby Coach-B3 becomes the first boggie immediately after the engine, far ahead of other AC coaches. In case o[censored]pgrades, it's very hectic job for a passenger to commute, alongwith all it's luggage, from B3 to any other AC coaches, as they are very far end of the train. Also the train departs immediately after this B3 coach get attached to the train).

The passenger, as per her original ticket, boarded the Coach-B3, as soon as it was attached to the train & took her seat no.04. She was then informed by the TT (of Coach-B3) that her ticket's been upgraded from 3AC to 2AC and hence she can't board this coach & should rush for Coach-A3, Seat 41 as the train is about to leave any moment.

In all despair she left the B3 coach alongwith all her luggage for Coach A3 (on the cold winter night & that too after waiting for nearly 2hrs on the station for the train to arrive which came around at 11 p.m). Somehow she made to the Coach-A3, almost fainting, just in time & the train left immediately after she boarded the boggie. As soon as she got settled on the seat (no.41), another TT appeared & informed her that she doesn't even have reservation in this coach.

Now this was the limit for her. First she was made to run from B3 to A3 (on the pre-text that ticket has been upgraded & as no vacant seat been left in B3). Then after running half the lenght of the train, she was informed that she doesn't have the seat in A3 either. Really this can happen to a train passenger in Indian Railways only.

After making her waiting for nearly an hour, in the moving train, she was finally offered the seat (55) in Coach-B1 at around 12 in the night. She then had to carry all her luggage to Coach B1 from A3.

Now the issues that need to be addressed by Indian Railways (or any other concerned govt. departments) are -

1. How railways can upgrade a seat from a boggie to another if they are
a) not inter-connected
b) at two far ends of the train

2. Is this the way of treating a lady (age 50) having confirmed reservation, travelling alone with luggage

3. Why she was denied seat in Coach A3, though her seat was actually upgraded from 3AC to 2AC (from Coach B3 to Coach A3)

4. If she was to be forced to sit in Coach B1 (which is 3AC) afterall, that too after waiting for an hr in a moving train, then why she was forced to leave Coach-B1 (again 3AC) in the first place.

5. Isn't the TT's behaviour (who are supposed to be public servant) of both the concerned Coach-B3 & Coach-A3 are questionable, suspicious & immoral.

In await of justice to be made in public interest in general and for all physical & mental trauma the concerned lady passenger has to went through in particular.

Regards
R.Khaitan
Ph: +[protected].