Chhath Rush: Bihar Residents Squeeze Into Trains, Traveling ‘Like Sheep and Goats

Muzaffarpur – People from Bihar, scattered across the country, are encountering significant challenges in returning home for the upcoming Chhath festival. With only two days left for the festival, those fortunate enough to secure transportation are rushing back, resulting in overcrowded trains reminiscent of a flock of sheep and goats. Disturbingly, even special trains are grappling with unfavorable conditions.

Passengers, traveling in important trains such as Bihar Sampark Kranti Express, Saptkranti Express, and Vaishali Express, find themselves in cramped conditions with no room to spare for even their feet, let alone seating. The situation in sleeper coaches is reported to be worse than in general compartments, forcing passengers to resort to sitting in train toilets. A recent reality check on Vaishali Express, traveling from Delhi to Saharsa, exposed the dire conditions faced by passengers, some of whom resorted to sitting on the platform between coaches due to lack of space.

A passenger from Sitamarhi, shared his ordeal of standing for 18 hours during the journey from Delhi. Another traveler voiced concerns about the scarcity of sleeper coaches on his train, aggravating the already challenging conditions.

Passengers on trains like Delhi-Mumbai, Ahmedabad, Kolkata, among others, endure extreme overcrowding, with eight to ten individuals squeezing onto a single seat. The shortage of sleeper and general bogies exacerbates the situation, compelling passengers to endure standing for prolonged periods.

A passenger from Saharsa recounted the difficulty of using the occupied toilet and refraining from drinking water due to the fear of not finding a suitable place for urination. Despite the passage of 80 special trains through Muzaffarpur daily, the overcrowding persists.

In response to the escalating situation, the Railway Protection Force (RPF) launched an awareness campaign at the junction and within trains on Wednesday. The campaign aimed to educate passengers about Chhath festival safety, distributing pamphlets and cautioning them to remain vigilant against drug addicts. Passengers were advised not to interact with unfamiliar individuals, refrain from consuming their food, and report any suspicious activities.

RPF Inspector Manoj Kumar Yadav spearheaded the campaign, with personnel like SI Sushmita Kumari, Gokulesh Pathak, Constable LB Khan, Chandradev Narayan Singh, and others disseminating information through announcements.

Amidst these challenges, there are reports of Train Ticket Examiners (TTEs) allegedly extorting money from passengers. Several passengers on the Down Vaishali Express, upon reaching Muzaffarpur, accused TTEs of coercively collecting Rs 500 from each passenger, even those with valid tickets. Passengers claimed that multiple TTEs collectively demanded money in Chapra, and when attempts were made to record the incident, they resorted to threats, preventing the documentation of their actions.