Pune: Dispute over seats in Sinhagad Express, passengers demand additional coaches

A fight over seats reportedly broke out between two groups travelling on the Sinhagad Express train on Wednesday. While the dispute was settled, passengers have demanded additional coaches to avoid such incidents.

With work hours returning to normalcy, the trains plying between Pune and Mumbai have seen an increase in the number of passengers travelling daily. On Wednesday, quarrel erupted between general passengers getting on board the train at Chinchwad when the train reached there at around 6.40 am.

A video of the incident where passengers are seen pushing and pulling each other has gone viral on social media. The video also shows some people trying to solve the matter.

Iqbal Mulani, president, Railway Pravasi Sangh Pimpri-Chinchwad, who was travelling in the train said, “This has become a regular occurrence and the number of passengers are increasing daily as many students also use it besides businessmen, as well as senior citizens and women who prefer this early morning train to Mumbai for work and meetings. There is a need for more coaches.”

“We have given our demands in writing to the divisional manager central railways requesting to embark bogies on this train or passengers getting in at stations like Pimpri, Chinchwad, Akurdi,” added Mulani.

The railway PRO has confirmed that they have received a letter demanding seats reserved in bogies especially for train stations before Lonavala to avoid such disputes over seats. “We will discuss with the higher officials as the decisions are taken at the headquarters,” he said.