In Pune, passengers who choose train travel, especially during festivals, feel that the addition of general second class coaches leads to overcrowding and makes the journey unpleasant. Arun Kumar Mishra, a senior citizen traveling weekly from Pune to Darbhanga in Bihar with a confirmed sleeper class ticket, described an incident where ticketless travelers or those with general tickets occupied the compartment. Mishra mentioned that some passengers even locked themselves inside the toilet, causing inconvenience to others onboard. Despite reporting the issue to the Train Ticket Examiner (TTE), it took a while to resolve, and fines were collected instead of asking the unauthorized passengers to disembark. After contacting Rail Madad, the issue was resolved at Ahmednagar station. Concerns are raised as the Pune rail division plans to increase the number of general coaches in special trains for the upcoming festive season, potentially impacting passengers with reserved tickets. Passengers fear unauthorized individuals taking over their berths due to the availability of more general coaches. Officials have assured that ticket checking personnel and security forces are on alert to manage the rush and conduct thorough checks. Unauthorized entry into compartments has become a common problem, as expressed by some passengers."I recently traveled on the Sinhagad Express in a reserved compartment and noticed several passengers traveling without tickets. One individual, pretending to be a railway employee, took a seat that was not assigned to them. Rajesh Doshi, a resident of Pune and regular train commuter, expressed concern about the lack of proper enforcement of the issue.
Sagar Jadhav, who boarded the Ahmedabad-Pune Duronto Express last week, encountered a situation where his reserved seat in coach DL1 was occupied, forcing many passengers to sit on the floor due to overcrowding.
Beyond train compartments, overcrowding on platforms has been a persistent problem for commuters. Rail division officials in Pune mentioned plans to address this issue by setting up temporary waiting sheds on the premises to improve crowd management and prevent congestion on the platforms. Passengers have highlighted the inadequate seating, limited water supply, and lack of proper waiting areas at the station, leading to dangerously crowded platforms that pose a risk of potential stampedes."
