Indian Railways- a sorry state of affairs

A good number of people must be aware that the Indian Railways (IR) is one of the largest and busiest rail networks in the world, transporting- millions of passengers across the country plus several tonnes of freight, daily. Although, many people across the globe may not be apprised of the fact that Indian Railways has a total state monopoly on India's rail transport. This monopolistic domination ain’t any good for the common man, moreover countless people will agree to this- taking into consideration the pathetic state of IR. Dismal sanitation, thoroughly complacent employees, corruption, absolute ineffective communication…are just some of the inbuilt traits of IR.

I definitely dread traveling long distances in the 2^nd class category, which I feel is worse than the 3^rd class. And I’m thankful to God that I’ve the provisions to travel by the category which is supposed to be higher than the substandard 2^nd class. It has been long since I’ve traveled by IR, wherein a journey stretches hundreds of kilometers, covered in over 5 hours. I boarded the 3 tier air-conditioned (AC) bogie of the ‘Bareilly Express’ which departs from the horrendous Lokmanya Tilak Terminus (famous as Kurla Terminus). Not only were the see through windows worn out, they weren’t properly vacuum sealed, resulting in at least three bothersome situations for the passenger, that is, water seeping out and into the seats, luggage and of course wetting the commuter; the traveler struggles or can’t see what’s happening outside the train as water continuously condenses between the toughened glass sheets, trickling down; a water level is ‘maintained’ between the two glass sheets, resulting in algae formation!

Furthermore, the compartment was a haven for cockroaches and insects alike that would come out when ever they wished…infiltrating passengers belongings, mainly foodstuff and feasting on it at their whims & fancies. Imagine been surrounded by several cockroaches whenever you sit to eat…yuck! So, this is the state of a 3-tier AC coach in which a commuter pays almost 3 times MORE the amount paid by his/her counterpart in the 2^nd class reserved facility. By the way, 2-tier bogies are brothers-in-arms. This is not all, I saw a Travelling Ticket Examiner (TTE) smoking a cigarette, that too in the gangway that leads to the interior of the compartment, in short he was smoking inside the bogie!!! Smoking cigarette and the likes is a punishable offence inside the railway train…here we have, a law keeper, breaking the law, that too in broad daylight and I’m SURE that the rail authorities are turning a blind eye- to ALL this. What’s more? Two supposedly ex-policemen (in civil dress) coolly entered our compartment somewhere in Maharashtra (when I was returning to Mumbai from Bareilly) and sat in someone else’s seat, claiming that they are allowed to travel free in AC compartments anywhere in India! Looks like they like to travel free definitely at other’s cost, certainly causing inconvenience to the passengers.

The above said are just some tidbits of the revered IR! Is Laloo Prasad Yadav listening, or is he still busy filling his coffers akin to numerous employees of the Indian Railways, which, claims to be the ‘Lifeline to the nation’, what a joke…