Beed: Chaos broke out at Parli Vaijnath railway station after the Akola-bound train was placed on Platform No. 3 despite Platform No. 1 remaining vacant. The last-minute platform allocation forced hundreds of passengers, including senior citizens and women carrying infants, to scramble across the foot overbridge (FOB) with heavy luggage. Several travellers reportedly watched their train leave before they could reach the platform on Friday.
The incident occurred around 1:30pm on Friday when the Pandharpur–Akola train arrived. Commuters waiting at the main entrance on Platform No. 1 were caught off guard by the platform allocation. As passengers rushed to cross over, several were left stranded on the stairs as the train departed.
Adding to the confusion, the Pandharpur–Nizamabad train arrived on Platform No. 1 shortly afterwards. Some stranded passengers rushed to board it, only to realise that the service terminated at Nizamabad and would not help those travelling towards Akola.
Compounding the problem, Platform No. 3 is currently undergoing redevelopment, with construction debris, steel and rubble scattered along the walkway. Commuters navigating the narrow paths amid the rush faced a risk of injury.
“We were waiting at Platform 1,” said Shaikh Nizam, an affected passenger travelling towards Akola. “The moment the announcement came that the Akola train was on Platform 3, everyone rushed towards the stairs. By the time we managed to cross the foot overbridge and reach Platform 3, the train had already departed. Had the authorities berthed the train on Platform 1, this chaos and missed journey could easily have been avoided.”
The incident has drawn criticism from local commuter advocacy groups. Adv. Manoj Appa Sankaye, an activist representing the Railway Passengers’ Association, demanded immediate operational accountability.
“Trains bound for Akola should preferably be operated from Platform No. 1 for passenger convenience. Furthermore, the authorities must clear the hazardous construction material from Platform No. 3 immediately and ensure basic amenities, including drinking water, are functional,” Sankaye said.
