Missed train, ₹15,000 compensation: Why a consumer commission in Punjab ordered a refund for a passenger | Details
The Ferozepur District Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission in Punjab recently directed Northern Railway, Konkan Railway and IRCTC to pay a passenger ₹15,000 after he missed his train because its departure time had allegedly been changed without proper intimation.
According to The Indian Express, the passenger will receive a refund of ₹10,620 and ₹5,000 in compensation. Kiranjit Kaur Arora, the commission’s president, and member Suman Khanna stated that the lack of intimation regarding the train’s early departure constituted a deficiency in service.
The order read, “…passengers have the right to timely and quality services, and they should not be subject to the whims and fancies of the administration.”
Here’s what happened
According to the complaint, the man booked three tickets for his family, including his wife and daughter, from Madgaon in Goa to Hazrat Nizamuddin in New Delhi for June 10, 2024, for ₹10,620. The complainant said that when his family reached the railway station before the scheduled departure time, they were shocked to find that the train had already left, having departed two hours earlier following a change in its schedule.
The complainant further stated that when passengers approached the station master to enquire about the change, they were told that it was IRCTC’s responsibility to inform them about revised train timings. He alleged that he then had to buy three flight tickets to reach Delhi. Citing deficiency in service and unfair trade practices, he approached the consumer commission.
Here’s how the Railways responded
After the complaint was filed, the Railways submitted that the train followed different schedules during the monsoon and non-monsoon seasons. It added that the monsoon timetable came into effect on June 10 and remained in force until October 30 every year.
It further said that passengers were expected to check train timings during this period, adding that the updated schedule had been displayed on station notice boards, communicated through public announcements and published on the Konkan Railway website. The Railways argued that the passenger was responsible for missing the train because he had failed to verify the revised timings.
Meanwhile, IRCTC argued that it was only responsible for online ticket bookings and had no role in train operations, including changes to departure timings.
What did the commission say?
According to the report, after examining the pleadings and evidence on record, the commission noted that passengers have the right to receive timely and quality services. It further said that the opposite parties were required to provide passengers with the train timetable, as they could not be left at the mercy of the railway authorities.
The commission held the opposite parties responsible for deficiency in service and ordered them to refund ₹10,620 to the passenger. It also directed them to pay an additional ₹5,000 towards compensation for the mental distress and harassment caused, along with litigation costs.
