Incorrect display of coach numbers at Duvvada railway station leaves passengers in a last-minute scramble

Passengers of Visakhapatnam-Guntur Simhadri Express face inconvenience due to incorrect coach numbers and lack of display boards on the train coaches.

Passengers travelling by Visakhapatnam-Guntur Simhadri Express (Train no. 17240) from Duvvada suffered severe inconvenience on Sunday, September 15, due to incorrect coach numbers displayed on the Coach Guidance Display Boards at the Duvvada Railway Station and the lack of display boards on the train coaches.

With the train scheduled to halt only for two minutes at the station, the passengers had a tough time running from one end of the platform to the other, carrying their pieces of luggage after learning that they were waiting at the wrong end of the platform, at the last minute

“I had booked my ticket to travel in the C1 coach (AC coach). I inquired with the staff concerned on duty at the station and was told that C1 would be the fourth coach from the engine as per the chart. Along with other passengers who had to travel by that coach, I waited at the front end of the station,” said Jashuva, president of the Duvvada Railway User’s Association (DRUA).

“Only after the arrival of the train did we learn that our coach was at the rear end of the train and we had to rush with our luggage all the way to the opposite end. The halt time was also not increased, adding to our anxiety,” he said.

“There were instances of passengers falling on the platform and sometimes even on the track after slipping while boarding and alighting in a hurry,” recalls K. Eswar, secretary, DRUA.