Pune rail admin appeals to passengers to reach at least an hour before scheduled train departure

According to the Pune railway administration, there has been an increase in the number of chain-pulling incidents, especially in the evenings

To keep at bay daily instances of chain-pulling and passengers arriving late at Pune railway station, the Pune railway administration has appealed to passengers to reach the railway station at least an hour before the scheduled train departure.

Passengers are engaging in chain-pulling as their relatives and friends are stuck in traffic and unable to reach the station in time. (Shankar Narayan/HT PHOTO)

According to the Pune railway administration, there has been an increase in the number of chain-pulling incidents, especially in the evenings, over the past few months as there are maximum train operations in the evening and passengers reach the station late as they are stuck in traffic jams which in turn delays train operations.

Manoj Jhawar, Pune railway division spokesperson, said, “The traffic congestion and jams have become a major issue in Pune city which has also impacted train operations, particularly in the evenings. Passengers are engaging in chain-pulling as their relatives and friends are stuck in traffic and unable to reach the station in time. Hence, our appeal to the passengers is to calculate the time and distance to reach Pune railway station from their respective destination and reach at least an hour before the train departure timing.”

A similar appeal had been made to passengers by the Airport Authority of India (AAI), which urged passengers to reach the airport at least three hours before the scheduled flight departure. “As there is traffic congestion in and around the city, airlines have been instructed to brief their respective passengers to reach Pune airport three hours before the scheduled flight departure timings so that they get enough time to clear the check-in process and travel smoothly from the airport,” Santosh Dhoke, Pune airport director, had said.

Whereas passengers are angry with the traffic situation in the city. Mandar Shanghe, a frequent traveller, said, “I missed the train in the evening a few months ago as our auto was stuck in a long traffic jam outside the station. It is better to reach the railway station at least an hour in advance to avoid such contingencies.”