The views expressed in this article are that of the author's and do not in any way reflect the views of the organisation.
Sujay Ravikumar shares his pleasant encounter with the Indian Railways. On Friday, the country woke up to the news of a train accident in Tamil Nadu, causing injuries to a over a dozen people. Unfortunately, such incidents have been alarmingly regular for many years now.
Have you ever wondered what happens to the trains that are scheduled to go on the same tracks after an accident?
Photo source: allindiaroundup.com
One may expect confusion and chaos, characteristic of public sector responses to emergencies in India. Here is my first-hand account. I was on the Shatabdi Express from Chennai to Mysuru on Friday morning when the train stopped for an unusually long time in Jolarpettai station in Tamil Nadu, about halfway through our journey. What happened next was as unexpected as it was pleasant. The Train Ticket Examiner (TTE) made an announcement that another train had derailed on the way to Bengaluru and the servicemen were unable to clear the track. Therefore, our train could not continue beyond this station. He stated, in a calm manner, that all passengers heading to Bengaluru should disembark and avail one of two options to reach their destination - board any of the 15 buses that were arranged for Shatabdi Express passengers to go to Bengaluru, or wait for another train arriving in 1 hour. Passengers heading to Mysuru could board another train from Bengaluru. Most passengers proceeded to exit the train with their luggage and cross the bridge towards the station exit. I was surprised to see the 15 buses had been proactively booked and already parked near the gate. Once we boarded our bus, an official marked our attendance to document which alternative mode of transport we chose, before the bus left for Majestic Bus Terminal in Bengaluru. The entire process, from the initial halting announcement to the departure of the buses, took less than 30 minutes, without any panic, confusion or even any special request. Three hours later, we arrived at our destination with all our luggage in hand. Kudos to Indian Railways, Southern Railways, the bus service and countless nameless railway officials for proactively and seamlessly managing the entire experience for Shatabdi passengers. Who knows how many such trains and passengers have faced similar responses? While rail safety remains a key issue of national importance, the rail authorities demonstrated extraordinary professionalism to service inconvenienced passengers in an emergency situation!Like this story? Or have something to share? Write to us: contact@thebetterindia.com, or connect with us on Facebook and Twitter (@thebetterindia).
About the author: Sujay Ravikumar is a working professional in his mid-twenties.
Representative photo source: 
Photo source: Flickr/
Although he paints all kinds of scenes at stations, his favourites appear to be images of falling rain and water glistening on wet railway platforms.
Biswaal has been painting ever since he was a child but he started working professionally only in 2011.
You can view several more works by the artist 
The complete list can be accessed from the 
for representational purpose only[/caption]
The Pir Panjal railway tunnel in J&K[/caption]
Another striking feature on the stretch will be the construction of the world’s tallest girder rail bridge over Iring river. The bridge, with a pier height of 141 metres, will be almost equal to two Qutub Minars stacked on top of each other.
Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu made these announcements on Saturday while speaking at the foundation laying ceremony for the new railway station in Imphal.
Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu[/caption]
Bio toilets made in conjunction with DRDO.[/caption]
Bhopal Railway Station[/caption]
The Union Carbide factory at Bhopal[/caption]
Bhopal Gas Tragedy Memorial[/caption]
Bhopal Gas Tragedy victims[/caption]
The Shakuntala Express[/caption]
Shakuntala Express[/caption]
Old lever from GIPR. Made by McKenzie & Holland, Worcester, England.[/caption]
Narrow gauge Shakuntala passenger train to Yavatmal at the curve near Murtazapur.[/caption]
Shakuntala Express at Achalpur station[/caption]
Wellington station, India[/caption]
Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus[/caption]
Kachiguda station[/caption]
Charbagh station[/caption]
Royapuram station[/caption]
Howrah station[/caption]
Rashidpur Khori Station[/caption]
Begunkodor Station[/caption]
Barog station[/caption]
Rashtriya Rail Suraksha Kosh will be established over a period of 5 years, with a corpus of Rs 100,000 crore.
Tickets booked through the IRCTC will no longer be privy to a service charge.
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By 2020, all unmanned railway level crossings will be done away with.
Photo Credit: 