Train journeys feel comfortable only when passengers get the confirmed seats they paid for. However, poor management sometimes turns the experience stressful. An incident recently came to light after four travellers were allegedly denied their confirmed berths during a train journey. Read to know what happened!
Railways Penalised Over Denied Confirmed Seats
Recently, the Bhojpur Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission instructed Indian Railways to pay compensation to four passengers. As per NDTV, these passengers were forced to travel standing despite having confirmed tickets for travelling from Vindhyachal in Uttar Pradesh’s Mirzapur district to Ara in Bihar on the LTT Patna Express.
According to the passengers, when they boarded the train, the railway staff had already occupied their reserved berths. They requested them several times, but the staff members refused to vacate the seats. As a result, the passengers had to complete the journey without getting the berths they had paid for.
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How Much Was Indian Railways Ordered To Refund?
After facing all the trouble during the journey, the passengers finally decided to take the matter seriously and file a complaint. NDTV reported that they said the entire experience left them mentally stressed, physically tired, and financially troubled because they did not get the service they had paid for.
During the journey, they even tried contacting the railway helpline and raised the issue on platforms like Railway Seva and the Rail Ministry. While they did receive a complaint number through SMS, no one actually stepped in to solve the problem at that time.
The passengers also informed a travelling ticket examiner (TTE) about the issue when the train reached Buxar station. However, they claimed the TTE asked them to “manage” because the train was overcrowded.
After reviewing the case, the commission held the railways responsible. The commission examined the passengers’ tickets, complaint records, SMS messages, and photographs before giving its decision.
It ordered the North Central Railway and the Ministry of Railways to return the ticket money along with 8% yearly interest. On top of that, the railways were also asked to pay ₹20,000 as compensation and ₹15,000 as litigation costs within 60 days.
During the hearing, Indian Railways tried to defend itself by saying the issue was more about law and order. According to them, it should be handled by the Government Railway Police (GRP). The railways also said they had already responded to the passengers’ complaint. But the commission was not convinced.
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Cover Image Courtesy: Wikimedia Commons/Ganesh Dhamodkar (Representative Image)
FAQs
Why didn’t four passengers get seats despite having confirmed tickets on the LTT Patna Express?
The passengers claimed that railway staff had occupied their reserved berths and refused to vacate them despite repeated requests.
Why has Indian Railways been ordered to pay extra to four passengers on the LTT Patna Express?
Indian Railways was ordered to pay compensation after four passengers were allegedly denied their confirmed berths and had to travel standing on the LTT Patna Express.
How much is Indian Railways paying the four passengers who were denied their confirmed seats?
Indian Railways was ordered to refund the ticket amount with 8% interest along with ₹20,000 compensation and ₹15,000 litigation costs to the four passengers.