Summer rush: Trains get packed,waiting lists longer

The reservation centres are being thronged by residents. “I came to the station to get tickets reserved to Dibrugarh. The waiting list is very long. Still,I have made the reservation hoping that by the time I have to travel,the situation would be a little better and I would find a seat,” said a defence personnel at the reservation counter at the Railway Station.

Station Superintendent at Chandigarh Railway Station Praveen Kumar said,“During these months due to the holidays,there is a huge rush of passengers. In cases when the waiting list increases to 300 or more,additional coaches are added to the trains. This has been done with the train to Lucknow. If the demand for seats increases then coaches could be added to other trains as well.”

The holiday special toy trains started on the Kalka-Shimla heritage route are also receiving an encouraging response. While six toy trains were plying on the route,two more were added. The aim is to cater to the rush of tourists during summer. The timings of some of the toy trains are such that these coincide with the timings of the Shatabdi and Himalayan Queen.

Station Superintendent at Kalka Railway Station Vinay Kumar said the toy trains were quite popular with the tourists who come from all across the country. Since the track had been declared a heritage track by UNESCO,it had its own charm for the tourists,he added.