The passenger missed the train despite arriving at the station on time; The Consumer Commission ordered the Railways, IRCTC to pay ₹15,620 | Today’s news
Punjab Consumer Commission orders railways and Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) to refund money ₹10,620 to a passenger who missed his train after his departure time was allegedly given without proper notice. The Ferozepur District Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission also ordered payment ₹5,000 as compensation for mental anguish, harassment and litigation costs, The Indian Express reported.
The commission stated that passengers have the right to timely and quality services and that their lack of information about the change in timetables constitutes a deficiency in the service. The order was passed by commission president Kiranjit Kaur Arora and member Suman Khanna.
According to a news source, the passenger had booked three tickets for himself, his wife and daughter to travel from Madgaon in Goa to Hazrat Nizamuddin in Delhi on June 10, 2024. ₹10,620.
The complainant told the commission that his family reached Madgaon station before the scheduled departure time but found that the train had already departed. His departure was reportedly moved two hours earlier after a change in the timetable.
When the family approached the station master to find out what had happened, they were reportedly told that informing passengers about revised timetables is the duty of IRCTC.
The passenger further claimed that he had to buy three tickets to reach Delhi after missing the train. He subsequently approached the Consumer Commission with allegations of lack of service and unfair business practices.
What did railways and IRCTC claim?
The railways is said to have defended its stand by saying that the train was running on separate monsoon and non-monsoon timetables. According to his submission, the monsoon schedule came into effect on June 10 and remained in force till October 30 every year.
It argued that passengers are expected to check train schedules during the monsoon season. The revised timetable was also displayed on the station notice boards, announced through the public notice system and published on the Konkan Railway website.
The railways claimed that the passenger missed the train due to his own negligence.
The IRCTC, meanwhile, has maintained that its responsibilities are limited to online ticket bookings and that it has no role in train operations, including deciding changes to arrival and departure times.
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What did the consumer commission say?
After examining the pleadings and the evidence on record, the panel rejected the arguments and held the opposite parties responsible for the deficiencies in service.
He stated that passengers have a right to timely and quality services and should not be subject to the “whims and whims of the administration”.
The Commission further noted that passengers could not be expected to be left at the mercy of the railway authorities and that counterparties were responsible for providing revised train timetables and ensuring that passengers were adequately informed of timetable changes.
It subsequently directed the opposite parties including Northern Railway, Konkan Railway and IRCTC to refund the ticket amount ₹10,620.
In addition, they were ordered to pay ₹5,000 as consolidated compensation for mental anguish, pain and harassment along with legal costs.
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