Balasore train accident: Scores still stranded at Railway stations, heavy rush in Bengaluru
Long queues were seen in front of the ticket counters of Sri M Visvesvaraya Terminus (SMVT) in Bengaluru during the morning hours of Sunday due to delay of several trains.
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An aerial view of SMVT station with long queues of passengers at ticket counter. (Express) Scores of people have been stranded at various railway stations across Karnataka as the Balasore train accident continues to have its effect on people’s travel from Bengaluru and other cities to western states such as Bihar and Odisha.
Long queues were seen in front of the ticket counters of Sri M Visvesvaraya Terminus (SMVT) in Bengaluru during the morning hours of Sunday. Delay of several trains on Sunday led to the accumulation of passengers at various platforms of SMVT.
According to Chief Minister Siddaramaiah’s office, the state government has provided assistance to more than 1,500 labourers stranded at the railway station due to cancellations and delays of various trains.
Bunty Kumar, a 28-year-old labourer from Bhagalpur, Bihar and 11 of his relatives were among those stranded at the station. Of the 12, six were kids, who spent the night at the railway station. The Bengaluru-Bhagalpur Anga Express was among the trains delayed due to the gruesome accident, leaving the family, who are heading back to their native place, stranded.
“We were working as labourers in Yelahanka. Our train 12253 was cancelled yesterday (Saturday). Today, we are waiting for a train to head to Patna. I don’t know when we will get one. The one scheduled to go to Bihar has already been delayed by more than two hours,” Bunty told The Indian Express.
Heading towards Cooch Behar in West Bengal was another group of 10 labourers who were employed at Raichur district for Anganawadi repair works. “Our train, Bengaluru-Guwahati Express, has been cancelled. We will now have to go through Bihar, but we are yet to get tickets,” said Atul Debnath.
For him, the wait to board a train will be a day longer as the train they expect to catch is scheduled for Monday.
“We came here yesterday (Saturday). If our workplace was closer, we could have returned till the situation is normalised. Now, we have no alternative but to wait at the railway station till tomorrow (Monday),” he says.
Golem Sarwar, who has been waiting for a train to Cuttack, said that though they were forced to sleep at the railway station, food and water arrangements were made for them, which eased their ordeal.
“The railway station was literally filled with people yesterday (Saturday). There was hardly any space as people had occupied almost every corner of the main reception area,” he said.
A railway official, who was assisting passengers at a help desk set up at SMVT, said that three trains from the station have been cancelled on Saturday, leading to the pile up of passengers. “Today trains are moving. But, there are delays,” he said.
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