Kolkata-Silchar train: Sleeper class became local train in West Bengal and the TC did nothing 

You stand in a long queue and book your tickets months in advance so that you get a reserved seat in a designated coach. In other words, to travel comfortably, one makes a lot of effort to book a train ticket prior. If you are traveling from Kolkata to Silchar by Kanchunjunga Express, you should not expect a lot of comfort in the sleeper class coach, no matter if you have a reservation or not.

Silchar resident Aniketh Debroy shares his experience and it is not something very encouraging. “Once the train reached Dakhhineshwar station, we witnessed a huge crowd entering the train. Initially, we did not understand what is happening but later when they started sitting on our seats and upper berths, we understood reservation has gone for a toss,” he asserts.

He and many other Silchar bound passengers protested and asked the ticket-less travelers to vacate their reserved seats but that was a fruitless waste of energy. “They started telling us that they travel this way daily and they won’t move an inch,” shares Aniketh. A couple of stops later, the train got more crowded, “There were hundreds standing on our heads making it one of the most uncomfortable journeys of my life. After a while, I wondered why I wasted my money in getting reservation done,” he adds.

All the passengers were waiting for TC (Ticket Collector) to come to coach for inspection. The passengers thought TC will take strict action against the ones who entered without ticket, “Totally opposite happened. The TC came and said they will travel for a while, please cooperate with them,” says Aniketh.

Only once the station reached Malda the crowd started getting off and the passengers had some comfort.

When the Railway Ministry is aggressively promoting the improved and better Railway service in India, such irresponsible act from administration certainly exposes loopholes in the system. If someone took the pain of going through all the necessary steps and reserving a seat well ahead of their travel, they deserve a safe and comfortable journey. Its a big shame that the passengers’ comfort and security is not thought about.