Passengers endure agonizing delays, call for Rly accountability

BALURGHAT: Sajeda Bewa, a 65-year-old resident of Balurghat, endured an agonising wait at the Balurghat Railway Station on Monday. The Balurghat-Bhatinda Express, which was scheduled to depart at 5 pm on Monday, finally departed at 2:56 am on Tuesday. Sajeda, who was travelling with her daughter and two granddaughters, expressed her frustration.

“I had heard that this train often departs late, but I didn’t expect such a delay,” Sajeda told media persons. “At my age, sitting still for hours is quite uncomfortable. I hope the Indian railways will address this issue to prevent similar experiences for others in future,” she lamented.

Sajeda’s plight was echoed by Aminul Mondal, 30, from Hili, who was heading to Hyderabad with 15 companions for security guard jobs. Aminul, who faced similar delays, criticized the railway authorities for their lack of accountability. “I went to the station master’s office to inquire about the delay but received no satisfactory answer. This repeated delay is causing significant inconvenience,” he said.

Abdur Razzak, another passenger, was travelling to Delhi with his ailing mother for medical treatment. He voiced his disappointment over the persistent delays. “My mother is in poor health, and waiting for hours at the station has been incredibly taxing,” Razzak lamented. “This train is crucial for many, and it’s unacceptable that it runs so late,” he added.The Balurghat-Bhatinda Express was introduced by the BJP government before the Lok Sabha elections with promises of timely service. Despite assurances from the railways, delays are a regular affair. Recent protests by passengers at the station master’s office yielded no substantial improvements. The station manager declined to comment when approached by the media.

Meanwhile, the Radhikapur- Katihar passenger train was delayed for more than two hours in Kaliyaganj station in North Dinajpur district owing to a power failure detected on the overhead cable on the track of Barsoi station

on Tuesday.

The passengers staged a protest. Patients who had appointments with doctors in Raiganj town had to face great hardships for the delay. Finally, the train left Kaliyaganj station at 12.23 pm instead of 10.02 am. Kalpana Roy, a resident of Radhikapur said: “ I had an appointment with a doctor in Raiganj at 11.30 am for my treatment.” Reportedly for the same reason, Telta-Radhikapur (Special) Demu passenger was also delayed by more than two hours.(Additional inputs from Raiganj)