TV
A dispute broke out between some passengers and two travelling ticket examiners (TTEs) on the Lokmanya Tilak Terminal-Kamakhya Express train on Wednesday in Rourkela of Sundargarh district due to complaints about malfunctioning of the air conditioning system and non-availability of other basic amenities.
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The incident which was marked by commotion was reported from Rourkela Railway Station and passengers forcibly halted the train for around an hour and a half demanding action.
According to sources, the altercation included two female passengers confronting the ticket examiners with demands for appropriate seating. Despite the presence of railway police, the verbal dispute which turned into a physical scuffle persisted unabated.
The passengers claimed that the air conditioning (A/c) in Coach B-5 had been inoperative for an extensive period of around 30 hours. They vowed not to leave the train until both air conditioning and water supplies were reinstated.
“The Air-conditioner has become inoperative in compartment B-5. After passengers complained about it, we informed the Control Room. They assured us that the A/c will be repaired in Rourkela. A mechanic came but it has not been repaired yet,” an on-duty TTE said.
“We boarded the train at Bilaspur station and came to learn about the issue. However, the passengers allege that air conditioning and water supply were not even available when they all boarded the train at Lokmanya Tilak Terminal,” the TTE expressed.
Senior railway officials attempted to mediate, yet the passengers, steadfast in their resolve, refused to stand down without their concerns immediately addressed.
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“We boarded the train at LTT and have been travelling along with small children. There are no water supplies and air conditioning for around the last 30 hours. Initially, we were told that our concerns would be addressed in Nagpur, and then again in Rourkela. Nothing has been done by the railway authorities yet,” the irate passengers alleged.
