Man with confirmed ticket forced to stand for entire train journey: ‘couldn’t even reach seat’

Image shared on X by Abhas Kumar Shrivastava (@abhas_rewcie/X)

Several complaints about overcrowding in trains have come to the fore recently. In one such complaint, an Indian Railways passenger said he was forced to stand for the entire duration of his trip even while holding a confirmed ticket.

Abhas Kumar Shrivastava wrote about his unpleasant experience in a post on the social media platform X. He said that overcrowding in the Rourkela Intercity train initially made it difficult for him to reach his seat. When he eventually did manage to reach his reserved seat, Shrivastava found a pregnant woman sitting on it.

Instead of asking her to move, he chose to stand near the door of the train for the duration of his two-hour journey.

In his post, the miffed passenger sarcastically thanked Indian Railways, IRCTC and Railways Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw for making him stand even though he had a reserved ticket for the intercity train.

“Reserved a seat 4 days prior and got a confirmed ticket. It was only after somehow entering the train I realised I couldn't even reach my seat number 64,” he wrote. “After an hour when I reached my seat, I found a pregnant lady sitting on it, so just left and stood at the gate for two hours.. Thank you for so memorable a journey and a confirmed ticket to let me stand for the entire trip.”

Reserved a seat 4 days prior and got a confirmed ticket. It was only after somehow entering the train I realised I couldn't even reach my seat number 64. After an hour when I reached my seat, I found a pregnant lady sitting on it, so just left and stood at the gate for two hours. pic.twitter.com/r8iCbU7rZN

— Abhas Kumar Shrivastava (Kane Williamson FC) (@abhas_rewcie) December 26, 2023

Alongside his post, he shared a picture which shows the train coach full of people. Even the corrdior of the train is blocked by passengers, with barely any space to move.

In the comments section, Shrivastava explained that he had booked a ticket in the second seater or 2S class, a non AC class coach most common in daytime Intercity and Janshatabdi trains. However, with his coach crowded by ticketless passengers, he said he felt like he was travelling in the General class.

When several people in the comments section pointed out that going by the layout in his picture, it appeared that Shrivastava had boarded the wrong coach accidentally, he offered an explanation:

Apparently people are confusing the coach with the general one. Intercity trains here in odisha for some reason have these kinds of coach now a days. pic.twitter.com/EeEFl6sIQ8 — Abhas Kumar Shrivastava (Kane Williamson FC) (@abhas_rewcie) December 26, 2023

Sir I'm sure this is not general class. I board multiple times a month in the same train 22839 for to and 22840 for fro. The coach types they have for 2S is pretty different from what actually it should be.

— Abhas Kumar Shrivastava (Kane Williamson FC) (@abhas_rewcie) December 26, 2023

@RailwaySeva must answer the reason for the format of the biggies they use for 2S. — Abhas Kumar Shrivastava (Kane Williamson FC) (@abhas_rewcie) December 26, 2023

Even my application shows up to this. But the there's usually a TTE who corrects the seats from 99 to 108 (that doesn't exist in real vs in charts) for the people.

— Abhas Kumar Shrivastava (Kane Williamson FC) (@abhas_rewcie) December 26, 2023

Only a week ago, another Indian Railways passenger had flagged the issue of ticketless passengers crowding coaches meant for people with reserved tickets. Swati Raj shared a video from her journey on Mahananda Express which showed the corridor of her AC first-tier coach choc-full of men.