It is a recent experience, from August 2017, during my lone long train journey from Patna to Surat, stretching over 1800 kms in III A.C compartment, attached at the rear end of the train, having only one general bogie behind mine. The train had halted at a main station. I needed to buy some fresh fruits from the platform. I looked back and forth to spot some vendors and could see someone about 60-70 feet away from our door. The mistake I committed was that I didn’t take into account the short duration of halt.
However, I was quite alert and cautious when I got down. Even though I am nearly 78 years old, but by God’s grace I have an active and healthy body, confident of even running short distances, quite fast. That is my plus point, but the surprising and risky situation; difficult and rather unusual to anticipate commonly comes next.
The platform was fairly crowded and as it happens in a long train journey, passengers do get down to buy essential eatables and I too was one of them. When I was about 70 feet away from my gate, the train started. Promptly, I decided to leave buying the fruit and ran towards the nearest gate, which was the last gate of the general bogie about 30 feet away, well within my reach at normal running speed. But the unanticipated and risky situation which manifested over there was a crowd of about 40-45 young people, mostly students I think, belonging to last general bogie. They also simultaneously ran towards the gate which was not quite free.
The gate got crowded, rather heavily and it appeared quite difficult to catch hold of the vertical railing and put at least one foot on the step of the gate. The train was speeding and the risky struggle was on for many leftover passengers. I was successful in catching hold of the railing and somehow placed one foot on the step, though with extra bold effort, considering the existing emergency situation the passengers at the overcrowded gate were cooperative but there was no space available to accommodate the crowd. Somehow, I was managing with one foot inside the edge of the gate and the current emergency at hand, seemed to end for the time being.
The general bogie was unusually and horribly crowded in unbelievable numbers of say about 20 times more passengers packed inside. Forced to standstill, with no scope at all to budge even a few inches, it was almost an unbearable situation, even for breathing. As I made my way inside the bogie, there was still no sign of relief. With no effective ventilation and availability of fresh air, majority of passengers were virtually gasping in a standstill posture under “packed” conditions. I needed fresh air and wanted a change but the next station was about hour and half away – almost inevitable duration. General bogie has no internal interconnection at all.
Suddenly, the train decelerated and stopped in a country-side location with uneven ground. Normal daylight was available outside which prompted me to take another round of risk to reach my berth in next III A.C compartment. Piercing the crowd at and about the gate, I got down on uneven ground and ran towards my compartment, where on first available closed door I banged loudly with both palms 6-7 times, but with no response from within. I took another chance and ran to my next door and banged 7-8 times very heavily. Luckily, my effort clicked and one kind co-passenger opened the gate. I got in, thanked the rescuer profusely and had a sigh of relief. My unknown co-berth occupants too had a sigh of relief to get me back.
So, ended the crisis which had a close linkage to my life itself. Hence friends, the learning of the current experience is that extra care is needed to avoid such avoidable ventures during journeys. My wife is wiser than me – during lone long route train journeys, she remains always inside the train.
- L.B Sinha