Pune: An additional rake has been introduced by Pune rail division for the frequently delayed Azad Hind Express, hoping to improve punctuality on Pune–Howrah route. However, trains arriving from Howrah continue to face major delays, though railway officials expect operations to stabilise within a week.“Last Sunday, we used an additional rake for the train from Pune to Howrah after the incoming rake was delayed by more than seven hours. The train operates daily using four rakes. With the additional rake, we hope departures from Pune will no longer be delayed,” Pune railway division PRO and divisional commercial manager Hemant Kumar Behera told TOI.The train, which has frequently run late over the past four years, departs Pune at 6.35 pm and reaches Howrah at 3.55 am on the third day. The return service leaves Howrah at 10.10 pm and arrives in Pune at 7.35 am on the third day. Railway authorities have previously deployed additional rakes to mitigate delays, which they have largely attributed to track work across various railway zones along the route.Passengers, however, said the measure came too late, arguing that the additional rake should have been introduced during the Durga Puja rush. “The train continues to be delayed. Between Oct 20 and 25, the Howrah–Pune service was delayed by around 15 hours on average. It caters to a large number of people travelling to Bengal for Durga Puja. The additional rake should have been introduced then and retained throughout the festive period,” said Palash Agarwal, a businessman whose relatives live in Kolkata.Railway officials said the additional rake remains important as north- and east-bound trains witness heavy passenger traffic ahead of Diwali and Chhath Puja. “Delays on train coming from Kolkata are continuing, but we expect things to settle down within a week,” Behera said.Meanwhile, Central Railway will temporarily restrict platform ticket sales at Pune railway station from November 1 to 15 to regulate crowds and improve passenger safety during the festive season. Tickets will remain available to people accompanying senior citizens, ailing passengers, children, illiterate passengers, and women who cannot manage their journeys independently and require assistance, a senior railway official said.Railway authorities have also streamlined entry and exit arrangements at the station’s main gate, umbrella gate, and Tadiwala Road-side entrance. Separate routes have been designated for incoming and outgoing passengers to reduce congestion. At the umbrella gate, dedicated entry and exit points have been established for passengers accessing platforms 1 to 6, while unauthorised access routes have been closed.To strengthen security, five luggage scanners have been installed at station entry points, along with 19 door-frame metal detectors for passenger screening, officials said.
