Pandemonium at station, ST stand

SURAT, Nov 12: Pandemonium reigned supreme throughout the day at the railway station, where thousands of passengers were stranded, and at the Central Bus Terminus, where bus services had been made for stranded passengers. Harassed passengers shuttled between the station superintendent8217;s office, the cancellation and refund windows and the inquiry counter as no officers were on hand to help the stranded passengers.

8220;I have been trying to get my ticket refunded for the past four hours and these people are sending me from one counter to another8221;, complained Rajesh Desai, who had a confirmed ticket to Mumbai. Another passenger said that he waited for more than three hours to hear that the Jammu-Tawi Express had been diverted.

Station manager D G Solanki, however, told Express Newsline that he had attempted everything, including arranging for 30 extra buses to transport stranded passengers from Surat to Valsad. 8220;We are even taking people on the rail ticket and returning the balance,8221; he said. The scene at the bus terminus was no better. ST authorities said that though the ST had provided 30 extra buses for the stranded, they were inadequate.