In an unprecedented incident, the Delhi-bound Goa Express made an unexpected early arrival at Maharashtra’s Manmad station on Thursday, departing 90 minutes before its scheduled time and leaving 45 passengers behind. The train’s unforeseen early arrival was attributed to a route diversion, where it took the Roha-Kalyan-Nashik Road route instead of its regular Belgami-Miraj-Daund route, as reported by a railway official to PTI.
Passengers, anticipating the train’s scheduled arrival at 10:35 am, were taken aback when the Goa Express reached Manmad junction at 9:05 am. In a matter of mere five minutes, the train set off without accommodating the passengers who had yet to board. Expressing their dismay, the stranded passengers approached the station manager’s office, seeking alternative arrangements for their disrupted journey.
The railway authorities swiftly arranged for the affected passengers to board the Gitanjali Express, which received an unscheduled halt at Manmad. The travelers then proceeded to Jalgaon, where the Goa Express was held back until their arrival, as confirmed by Central Railway’s chief public relations officer, Dr. Shivraj Manaspure.
Acknowledging the railway’s fault in the matter, the PRO assured that an inquiry into the incident had been initiated. Both the Goa Express and the Gitanjali Express shared the same route until Bhusawal, allowing the stranded passengers to conveniently join the latter train. At approximately 11:26 am, the passengers boarded the Gitanjali Express while the station master at Jalgaon was instructed to detain the Goa Express until their transfer.
Reports indicate that due to developmental work on the route, the Goa Express faced delays and took over four hours to reach Jalgaon, compared to the usual two hours. By 1:35 pm, the Gitanjali Express reached the station, and the 45 stranded passengers were seamlessly transferred back to the Goa Express. Following a 30-minute delay, the Goa Express resumed its journey, departing from Jalgaon at 1:46 pm.
This incident serves as a stark reminder of the importance of efficient communication and coordination between the railway authorities and passengers to prevent such untoward situations. It evokes memories of a similar incident in 2015 when 200 passengers were left stranded at Bengaluru’s Yeshwantpur railway station due to revised train timings, without being adequately notified about the changes.
Sources By Agencies
