not a nice sight for office goers

It was 8.40 am Monday morning. I picked up my bag and rushed to catch the train for being at office before office hours (9.30 am). Much like all office goers, I too needed to endure this morning rush. I needed to catch my train which normally comes to halt by 8.50 am in the station where I board it. To my chagrin, on reaching the station, I found that the platform left no room for even a rain drop to fall amidst the waiting throng of commuters.

Upon enquiring, I came to know that there was no train for atleast fifteen minutes then. On Monday morning during peak hours just imagine how will the railway station look like when there was no train even if was for such a short period. Then a train came indeed that had no space for anyone to land and the lone chance of anyone to board the train was to cling on to the footboard. I felt it not so advisable and therefore decided not to carry on with this potential misadventure. I waited for my next train to arrive and to my surprise it arrived inside three minutes time and really it was a mouth watering sight to see.

But, as the train approached I got annoyed. It was a “ladies special” train with 12 compartments comprising only a handful of commuters. If that was not enough, it was like rubbing salt to your wounds when I found these ladies commuters enjoying their early morning breakfast inside the train. Some were even seen combing their hairs while a few went to the extent of beautifying their looks by applying facial creams and all. Such a disgusting sight it was to see only ten or more people in each of the compartments.

Then that train left and it took another ten minutes for the general train to come. By the time it was already 9.15 am and for me to reach the office inside 9.30 am was out of question any way. Then a crowded train came to take all hapless gents who were once left stranded at the sight of the ladies special train. Many of us again felt it too crowded to enter and so just waited for our next turn. Having said that, I found even some ladies commuters conveniently seated in that train too when they had a special running just ten minutes before.

So, these are the questions that our railway officials need to answer.

1. Do we require a “ladies special” to run in Chennai and that too after the conversion of all meter gauges to broad gauges?

2. Have ever the trains in Chennai housed the same number of commuters as they do in Mumbai?

3. Was ever the option of increasing the frequency of trains thought about?

4  When ladies have a separate train going anyway, why don’t they use it in full instead of boarding the immediate general train that follow so that we, gents commuters, can occupy the latter fully?

I leave it to my blog followers to answer.