Passengers stranded in darkness amid Ganpati rush as train halts overnight

On Monday night desperate to secure a spot on one of the many Ganpati special trains announced by Central Railway CR many families arrived at Diva station hours in advance hoping to board the DivaSawantwadi Express a trusted lifeline for Konkanbound travellers Butonce inside the trainrsquos power was switched off and passengers said they spent the night without lights or fansIn response CR told midday that the train was headed to the yard and it is unlawful to board such a train The electric supply is switched off during the stabling period to avoid any mishaps CR saidNot enough seatsDespite over 300 special trains announced by CR for the Konkan route and additional MSRTC buses arranged by political groups from Dombivli Kalyan Thane and Diva reservations were snapped up within minutes Desperate to secure a spot many families arrived at Diva station hours in advance on Monday night hoping to board the DivaSawantwadi Express a trusted lifeline for Konkanbound travellers At 9 pm this correspondent found the train stationed overnight on the platform scheduled to depart at 625 am the next morning August 26No lights or fansJust 10 minutes after the trainrsquos arrival railway authorities switched off all lights and fans in the compartments The AC M1 coaches were kept locked until morning while general and reserved coaches remained open but in complete darkness and heat Passengers said water was available in toilets but the absence of fans and lights made the long halt unbearableManojkumar Gupta station manager at Diva admitted there was a lapse ldquoIf announcements are not made in advance I will instruct the night staff to ensure passengers are informed We are working to improve communication so such confusion doesnrsquot happen againrdquo he saidVoices from the platformDinesh Dhamapurkar Diva resident ldquoI arrived with my family at 9 pm I couldnrsquot get a reserved ticket so I came early If I donrsquot travel today I wonrsquot even get to board tomorrowrdquo Sachin Chavan heading to Sawantwadi ldquoThis train reaches during the day so autos charge only Rs 200 to Rs 300 If we arrive at night they demand Rs 1000 or more impossible for usrdquo Shantaram Bharne senior citizen from Kopar ldquoMy wife and I came at 8 pm and finally got a seatrdquoAtul Sawant travelling to Vaibhav wadi Road ldquoWe host Ganpati for 10 days My AC ticket was confirmed late at night but the coach was locked My wife child and I waited all night in the dark until 530 am when doors finally opened and fans came onrdquo Siddesh from Diva ldquoI worked till late Monday night and reached in the morning but couldnrsquot get space inside I sat near the door Irsquoll manage after Panvel I have to decorate and bring GanpatirdquoConfusion adds to woesSince August 23 CR has been running a MEMU Mainline Electric Multiple Unit from Diva to Chiplun scheduled shortly after the Sawantwadi Express But on Monday night there was no announcement about this serviceThe Sawantwadi Express departed at 625 am followed by the MEMU at 715 am Many passengers unaware of the MEMU crowded into the express or sat helplessly on the platform until RPF and GRP officials guided them to Platform 6Passengers on the DivaSawantwadi Express sit in darkness after the railway authorities switch off lights and fans on Monday night PicsShrikant KhuperkarA staff member said ldquoThe MEMU comes from Kalwa carshed and is routed through Kalyan depending on platform availability But yes announcements should have been maderdquoPoor conditionsThe DivaSawantwadi Express remains the most preferred option for Konkanbound passengers thanks to its affordable fare and reliable daytime arrival By contrast many holiday specials and MEMU trains face delays or are parked at smaller stationsHowever halting the Sawantwadi Express overnight at Diva without basic facilities has drawn sharp criticism ldquoNo lights no fans no safety in the dark Every year itrsquos the same story and nothing changesrdquo complained one elderly travellerOfficial SpeakldquoIt is inappropriate and unlawful to board a train that is meant to go to the yard The electric supply is switched off during the stabling period to avoid any mishaps On arrival at Diva the rake is stabled in the yard in preparation for its next journey Passengers are requested to avoid boarding these trains at nightBased on the complaint at Diva the RPF has also been instructed to take appropriate action to ensure no passengers board the train during this periodrdquo said CRrsquos Chief Public Relations Officer Dr Swapnil Nila ldquoThis year Indian Railways has planned to run more than 380 Ganpati special in addition to the existing services to cater to around seven lakh additional passengersrdquo he added