Duranto Express

Duranto Express

Railways are running a Duranto Express from H Nizamuddin to Ernakulam every Saturday. Last Saturday, many passengers who came to the station to board the train were taken aback by the cancellation of the train. Some passengers who sent SMS to know about their seat number/coach number etc got reply that the train is cancelled. Reason for cancellation of train is Gujjar’s strike in Rajasthan demanding reservation for jobs. Duranto is a nonstop train and its first and last stop is Ernakulam. If there is disruption of rail traffic in Rajasthan, Railways could have diverted the train via Bhopal Itarsi etc as there is nobody to get down in between. This is the peak of summer vacation and people had booked the tickets two months in advance. Most of the people who booked tickets in this train will not be able go home with family during this vacation as no train tickets are available till the end of summer vacation and air tickets are available at exorbitant cost which a negligible percent can afford. There is a lot of difference between cancelling a local train and a long distance train covering more than three thousand Kilometers. Railways have played a cruel joke on the hapless passengers. There is a popular saying that common sense is most uncommon.

Let us hope that Railways will not repeat this folly and cancel other long distance trains in the coming days. Whether a safe and comfortable journey benefiting the vast majority be the top priority be of any sensible Government , rather than having superfast and bullet trains, which may in the end, not justify the huge expenditure incurred on them is a moot question.