Prior to the lockdown, the Sinhagad Express had 19 coaches. However, following the lockdown, the number was reduced to 16, resulting in a decrease of 300-325 seats. Consequently, passengers on the Sinhagad Express have been fighting amongst themselves due to a lack of seating space. A video of one of these fights has become viral on social media.
A man can be seen in a video fighting rudely with a woman. Iqbal Mulani, who is the president of the Railway Pravasi Sangh, stated that there are a large number of passengers and pass holders travelling regularly on the Sinhagad Express. Unfortunately, due to a reduction in the number of coaches on the express, passengers are not able to find a place to sit.
Mr Mulani has repeatedly submitted a memorandum to the railway administration, and officials personally inspected the situation. However, the number of coaches has not been increased.
Over the past 15 days, the Sinhagad Express has experienced four fights due to space issues, leading to the involvement of the RPF (Railway Protection Force), who took necessary actions and informed the relevant authorities. However, a female passenger has expressed her opinion that such incidents will continue to happen because of the limited space available on the train.
Before the lockdown, two coaches were allocated for pass holders, but they are no longer provided. As a result, the Railway Passenger Association has been requesting that two coaches should be reinstated for pass holders, as it was before the lockdown.