RYSS to Protest SER GM at Tatanagar Over Chronic Train Delays

Jamshedpur: The Rail Yatri Sanghursh Samiti has intensified its agitation against chronic train delays and alleged railway negligence, announcing plans to protest during the proposed visit of the South Eastern Railway (SER) General Manager to Tatanagar on May 27.

The outfit’s patron and Jamshedpur West MLA, Saryu Roy, made the announcement while addressing a large gathering during a signature campaign organized by the committee at Ghatshila on Sunday.

Roy warned that if the General Manager avoids visiting Tatanagar to escape the protest, committee members will travel to Kolkata and stage a demonstration outside his office. Hundreds of residents participated in the signature campaign held opposite Ghatshila Railway Station, supporting the committee’s demand for punctual passenger train services.

Addressing the gathering, Roy expressed disappointment over the railway administration’s failure to resolve the issue despite repeated assurances. He said the Divisional Railway Manager of Chakradharpur had recently met him and promised corrective measures, but commuters have yet to see any significant improvement.

Roy also questioned the railway administration’s practice of giving priority to freight trains over passenger services. He alleged that authorities frequently halt passenger trains to allow goods trains to pass and demanded accountability for the policy. He added that the committee would seek information through the Right to Information (RTI) Act if railway officials failed to provide answers.

Stressing that the committee’s primary demand is the timely operation of passenger trains, Roy pointed out that trains often reach Chandil on schedule but take several additional hours to arrive at Tatanagar.

He cited the example of the Ispat Express, claiming that the train has consistently arrived several hours late over the past three years. According to him, commuters from Ghatshila and nearby areas have suffered the most because of the delays.

Roy also highlighted the poor punctuality of MEMU services, saying many trains run two to three hours behind schedule. He said office-goers who rely on these services face difficulties at work and, in some cases, fear losing their jobs because of repeated delays.

Launching a sharp attack on railway authorities, Roy demanded greater accountability and said the public should know about the operational problems affecting Tatanagar. He claimed that even premium services such as the Vande Bharat Express have not been immune to delays.

He further alleged that the Railways has expanded freight operations aggressively without completing the infrastructure upgrades planned since 2017. Roy claimed that authorities are parking goods trains on main platforms, citing an instance at Ghatshila where a freight train occupied Platform No. 1.

Earlier, the committee’s convenor, Shiv Shankar Singh, said the agitation would continue until passenger train services return to normal. He noted that the campaign had expanded from Tatanagar to Ghatshila and thanked local organizers Neeraj Singh and Amit Sharma for their efforts.