Over 67,000 trains cancelled in South East Central Zone in 3 years: RTI

From 2020 to April this year, over 67,600 passenger trains have been cancelled in the South East Central Railway (SECR) zone that covers Chhattisgarh to Nagpur, according to a response by the railways to an Right to Information (RTI) query, The New Indian Express (TNIE) reported on Wednesday.

The RTI query was filed by Chhattisgarh-based Kunal Shukla. The railways said that over 67,600 passenger trains have been cancelled since 2020 till April this year in the SECR zone, one of the most profitable railway zones.

According to RTI responses, the Indian Railways cancelled 32,757 trains in 2020, suspended the operations of 32,151 trains in 2021, called off 2,474 trains in 2022, and postponed 208 trains in April 2023. These trains served short- and long-distance routes on different dates in the given years.

Shukla was quoted as saying that the worsening conditions of the railways’ services are indeed alarming for the citizens. Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel has often voiced his concerns over the cancellation and delay of passenger trains, calling the trend “anti-people”.

Nine out of the 11 Lok Sabha members from Chhattisgarh are from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). TNIE quoted one of the MPs (Member of Parliament) as saying that the cancellation of trains led to distress and inconvenience for the people.

The unforeseen suspension and cancellation of several long-route passenger trains have left commuters in a state of discomfort, one of the locals said. Not only are the trains getting cancelled, but they also rarely run on time, he added.