Freight Over Passengers? Protest brews over chronic train delays at Tatanagar

Mail News Service

Jamshedpur, April 17 : Discontent is mounting among rail passengers as persistent delays at Tatanagar station continue unabated, prompting a fresh wave of protest led by local stakeholders.
At a crucial meeting held at his Bistupur office, Jamshedpur West MLA Saryu Roy, along with members of the Rail Passengers’ Committee, raised serious concerns over the alleged prioritization of freight trains over passenger services in the Chakradharpur Railway Division.
The committee questioned the authority behind such operational decisions, asking whether the directive to halt passenger trains in favor of goods trains was issued by the Divisional Railway Manager (DRM) or escalated from higher authorities like the General Manager or Railway Board. The members demanded transparency and accountability, stating that such practices undermine passenger convenience and violate the spirit of public service.
Chairing the meeting, committee convenor Shiv Shankar Singh emphasized that passenger trains operate on fixed schedules, unlike freight trains, and questioned the logic of allowing an unregulated influx of goods trains in an already strained infrastructure network.
As part of an intensified agitation strategy, the committee announced a signature campaign across multiple stations including Tatanagar, Adityapur, Govindpur, Salgajhuri, Kandra, and Gamharia. Volunteers will collect feedback directly from passengers—both on platforms and onboard trains—documenting their experiences of delays and inconvenience.
The delegation will soon submit a formal memorandum to the DRM, with copies addressed to the Railway Board Chairman and the General Manager, seeking immediate corrective measures.
Participants at the meeting also criticized the apparent disconnect between the Union Railway Ministry’s stated commitment to passenger comfort and the ground reality. “Do hours-long delays reflect passenger convenience?” members questioned, expressing frustration over what they described as disregard for ministerial directives.
Despite ten days of ongoing protests, there has been no visible improvement in train punctuality at Tatanagar. Commuters continue to report delays via calls, WhatsApp, and social media, fueling growing resentment among the traveling public.
Several prominent members, including Mukesh Mittal, Subodh Srivastava, Mukul Mishra, Ajay Kumar, Satish Kumar Singh, and others, were present at the meeting, reaffirming their commitment to escalate the movement until tangible action is taken.