‘Elite’ trains are treated better, always

Six years after five women were trampled to death and 10 suffered major injuries following a scramble to board a train at a jam-packed New Delhi Railway Station platform, history repeated itself on Sunday.

Six years after five women were trampled to death and 10 suffered major injuries following a scramble to board a train at a jam-packed New Delhi Railway Station platform, history repeated itself on Sunday.

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More than half a decade down the line, the reason has remained unchanged — a subtle preference for ‘elite’ trains.

“Just to keep a train that richer people prefer from getting late — the station’s authorities didn’t think even once before putting the lives of the poor at risk,” alleged an irate Anil Kumar (37), who got badly bruised while attempting to carry his three children to safety during the stampede.

Affected passengers, most of who are frequent travellers, expressed outrage at the alleged bad infrastructure in smaller and ‘cheaper’ trains.

But the Railways was ready with a justification. “Each train has a pre-determined platform for arrival and departure. It is changed only when the train is running late. In today’s case, it was the Rajadhani Express, which was shifted to the other platform,” said Anand Swarup, CPRO, Northern Railways.