Commuters at Sidhauna Rampur railway halt are facing severe hardships due to a breakdown in basic infrastructure and the suspension of essential train services. Passengers are currently dealing with a non-functional ticket window, pitch-dark platforms, and dangerous track crossings, leading to significant daily inconvenience for local travellers.
Key issues impacting the station include:
• Suspension of three scheduled train services causing travel delays.
• A closed ticket counter forcing passengers to travel without tickets.
• Six months of total darkness at the station premises following the removal of a level crossing cabin.
• Dangerous track crossings due to the lack of a foot-over bridge.
• Poor maintenance leading to overgrown thorny bushes between the tracks.
Operational Challenges and Safety Hazards
For months, the ticket window at Sidhauna Rampur has remained shuttered, leaving passengers—especially the elderly and women—in a difficult spot. Without a functioning counter or an alternative digital system, many are forced to travel ticketless. In a desperate attempt to avoid penalties, commuters have resorted to showing Ticket Examiners photographs of the closed window as proof of the facility’s unavailability. While railway authorities had previously proposed a QR code-based ticketing system to resolve this, the technology has yet to be implemented at the halt.
The safety situation is equally concerning. Ever since the railway level crossing cabin in the Sidhauna market was removed six months ago, the entire station area has been plunged into darkness. This lack of illumination, combined with the absence of a flyover or foot-over bridge, leaves passengers with no choice but to cross active railway tracks to move between platform one and two. This creates a severe risk of accidents during late-evening or early-morning travel.
Neglect of Station Premises
Beyond the operational failures, the physical maintenance of the halt has been largely ignored. Thickets and thorny bushes have overgrown between the tracks, creating an unhygienic and hazardous environment. Local residents and regular commuters have repeatedly voiced their concerns, demanding that the railway authorities restore the suspended train services and prioritize essential infrastructure upgrades. As of now, the station remains in a state of neglect, waiting for a prompt response from the administration to ensure passenger safety and convenience.