The General Secretary of Upanagariy Railway Pravasi Mahasangh, Lata Argade, has accused railway authorities of failing to implement an effective contingency plan, resulting in significant inconvenience for thousands of commuters, particularly those traveling between Thane and Kalyan. The lack of coordination and untimely operations left passengers stranded and frustrated.
Lata alleged that trains were operating "without a timetable," as some indicators failed to display train timings and instead showed "zero hours." Furthermore, train services beyond Kalyan were disrupted, forcing passengers to seek alternative modes of transportation.
The situation worsened due to heavy rainfall, leaving passengers helpless. Mahesh Sadhwani from Ulhasnagar shared his ordeal, revealing that he left his office around 4 pm and boarded a fast train from CSMT at approximately 4.15 pm, only to find out it was canceled at Thane. The platform at Thane station was packed with frustrated crowds. Mahesh managed to board another train bound for Kalyan at Thane, but his misfortune continued as that train was canceled at Dombivli. Desperate to reach home, he had to take a rickshaw from Dombivli to Kalyan, finally arriving at his destination around 7.45 pm.
Raju Shinde from Kalyan experienced a similar plight. His train was canceled at Thane at approximately 4.50 pm, resulting in a 30-minute wait for the next available train. However, the overcrowded platforms forced him to abandon four local trains, further delaying his journey.
Passengers held the railway authorities responsible for the chaotic situation and also criticized the state authorities for their failure to provide adequate alternatives for the stranded commuters. Although a few buses were arranged, they were insufficient to accommodate the large number of affected passengers.
Rickshaw operators exploit situation; charge hefty amounts
Taking advantage of the train operation failures between Kalyan and Titwala, as well as Ambernath and Badlapur on Wednesday, rickshaw operators exploited the situation and caused distress to commuters by charging fares multiple times higher than usual.
Rama Shanker Tiwari, a resident of Titwala, expressed his disappointment, stating, "Normally, the rickshaw fare from Kalyan to Titwala ranges between Rs 175 to 200, but on Wednesday evening, they were charging Rs 200 per seat." The disruption occurred due to a point failure at Kalyan, resulting in the suspension of train services between Kalyan and Titwala for several hours.
Similarly, the situation was no different between Ambernath and Badlapur, where rickshaw operators reportedly charged three to four times the normal fare on Wednesday. The disruption in train operations lasted for over six hours due to waterlogging in the area.
Commuters had limited options and had to rely on rickshaws to reach their destinations during the train shutdowns. Exploiting the situation, some rickshaw operators engaged in price gouging, further exacerbating the difficulties faced by the already stranded passengers.
