Man with confirmed train ticket says he didn't get a seat. But there's more to it

New Delhi,UPDATED: Dec 27, 2023 16:26 IST

If you’ve been on social media platforms recently, you probably have come across numerous grievances regarding overcrowding on trains. Now, an X user’s complaint has brought to light the issue of overcrowding on trains - a problem that seems to be worsening. The user’s experience with the Indian Railways, where he had to stand throughout the entire trip despite having a confirmed ticket, has gone viral.

Abhas Kumar Shrivastava had planned his journey on an Intercity train, reserving his seat four days in advance. However, the reality of his trip was far from what he had anticipated. Upon boarding, he was met with a sea of passengers that made it nearly impossible to navigate to his seat.

Here’s why Abhas couldn’t get a seat

The situation was so dire that it took him an hour just to reach seat number 64, which he had reserved. To his dismay, the seat was already occupied by a pregnant woman. Abhas chose not to disturb her and instead stood by the train door for the entire two-hour journey.

“Reserved a seat 4 days prior and got a confirmed ticket. It was only after somehow entering the train I realised I couldn't even reach my seat number 64,” he wrote. “After an hour when I reached my seat, I found a pregnant lady sitting on it, so just left and stood at the gate for two hours.. Thank you for so memorable a journey and a confirmed ticket to let me stand for the entire trip,” the post read.

Abhas’ post on X was accompanied by a photograph that captured the cramped conditions inside the coach, with passengers standing in the aisle, leaving no space to move.

Take a look at the post:

People, however, speculated that he might have boarded the wrong coach. Abhas clarified that he had booked a 2S class seat, a non-AC coach common in daytime trains, but the overcrowding made it resemble the general class. He further explained that the coach configuration in Intercity trains might differ from what people expect, leading to confusion among the public.

Here's how others reacted:

This is not the first time a passenger has portrayed the worsening condition of Indian Railways. Videos of ticketless passengers encroaching and passengers in AC coaches have gone viral as well.