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PET 2025: Despite special trains, candidates struggled in packed coaches at Lucknow Charbagh station
Inside Charbagh, ticket counters saw long queues with aspirants trying to secure seats on already packed trains
Ahead of the UPSSSC PET 2025, railway stations and bus depots in the Uttar Pradesh capital Lucknow witnessed huge crowds on Friday night with thousands of candidates arriving from various districts to catch connecting trains to reach their exam centres.
Despite the Northern Railway running special trains and the administration arranging holding areas and rest spaces, many aspirants complained of overcrowding and inadequate facilities. At Charbagh railway station, the municipal corporation had erected a large pandal where mattresses were laid outside the station premises. The candidates were seen resting on the floor, using their backpacks as pillows, while some flipped through notes under mobile flashlights.
Sachin Verma, who came from Ambedkar Nagar with his exam centre in Bareilly, said: “The arrangement is fine, but there are no fans. It’s very difficult to spend night in this heat without ventilation.” Another candidate from Barabanki, Manohar, waiting for a train to Kanpur, said he had no choice but to spend the night at the station. “The crowd is huge. It’s hard to even find a place to sit,” he added.
Inside Charbagh, ticket counters saw long queues with aspirants trying to secure seats on already packed trains. “Two trains have gone but they were so crowded that boarding them was impossible,” said Rajendra Kumar Rawat who missed his train.
Meanwhile, ADG (Railways) Prakash D along with senior officers inspected the station on Saturday. They interacted with candidates and reviewed security, medical, water and help desk arrangements. Railways also announced two unreserved exam special trains—one between Lucknow Jn–Kanpur Central and another between Lucknow Jn–Varanasi—to ease the rush.
