Title - Unable to board overloaded train, passengers block track for 2 hrs

Anantnag:
After passengers failed to board an overloaded train at the Panzgam Railway Station in South Kashmir’s Pulwama district this morning, they blocked the track for more than two hours.Sources said more than 100 people lay down across the Railway track and did not allow the train to proceed further for more than two hours.The train was already overloaded when it left the Anantnag Railway Station and even at Bijbehara, commuters were unable to board the train, sources said.However, when the passengers, who were waiting for the train at the Panzgam Railway Station, were not able to board the train, they blocked the track.The angry passengers said the Railway authorities had been promising them that another train would be put into service, but nothing had been in this regard.“The train is always overloaded. More than 1,500 people travel at any given time by the train while the total capacity is 800,” said an angry commuter.

The commuters said neither the Railway authorities were increasing the seating capacity by adding more bogeys nor they were putting another train
into service.

The protesters were pacified after senior police as well as officials from the district administration visited the spot and brought situation under control.

The Railway authorities, however, maintained that increasing the frequency or capacity of the trains did not fall into their jurisdiction.

“These are administrative matters and we don’t have a say in this,” said a senior official of the Railways.