Meghnagar (Madhya Pradesh): Owing to the apathy of railway officials and indifference of the government, passengers of MEMU Train running between Ujjain (MP) to Dahod (Gujarat) find themselves squeezed into cramped spaces due to insufficient number ofácoaches.
It is a common sight that each compartment is jam-packed, especially during peak hours and quite a lot of people including tribals constantly wait to board it.
Due to heavy rush, it sometimes gets difficult for ladies, children, senior citizens and differently-abled persons to get into the coach and stand due to overcrowding. Recently, reduction of 4 coaches in MEMU Train (currently 8 coaches) has exposed the extent of the overcrowding issue.
The number of coaches must be increased in the interest of commuters. As demand increased exponentially with commuters getting multiplied, it is unbearable for commuters who had been protesting against the decision but it yielded no results.
Apart from meeting the DRM, commuters raised the issue to the railway chairman (Ratlam Division) and Western Railway GM, but all in vain. Urgent need for improvements in the railway system has been witnessed. In addition to that, assurances made by BJP MP (Ratlam) Guman Singh Damor for fast, safe and comfortable travel has also been turned out to be hollow.
The problem is not limited to number of coaches. It is also about the timing and frequency of trains. Meghnagar is the main railway station of Dhar, Jhabua and Alirajpur district.
After the suspension of Firozpur -Janta Express (due to COVID-19), commuters are forced to use other modes of transport. Passengers from Meghnagar, Bamineya and Thandla Road are worst-affected. On the other hand, the government has been spending hefty amount for rejuvenation of Meghnagar, Bamnia, Thandla Road and other small railway stations.
However, the authorities remained indifferent to the condition of commuters. Adding coaches or more trains during peak hours would be a long term solution to the problem.
