LUCKNOW: Thousands of aspirants travelling to appear for the Uttar Pradesh Police Constable Recruitment Examination caused widespread disruption across the state’s railway network on Monday, leaving many passengers with confirmed reservations stranded as trains and stations witnessed unprecedented overcrowding.The three day recruitment examination, which began on Monday, has attracted nearly 29 lakh applicants competing for just 32,679 constable posts. The massive movement of candidates from different districts placed enormous pressure on railway services, resulting in overcrowded platforms, packed coaches and chaotic scenes at several major stations across UP.One of the worst affected trains was the Chauri Chaura Express (15003) at Varanasi Cantonment station, where passengers holding confirmed tickets reported being unable to board because reserved coaches had already been occupied by candidates travelling on unreserved tickets. The situation triggered frustration among regular travellers who had planned their journeys well in advance.Among them was Belal Abdullah, who was travelling with five family members and had six confirmed berths in an AC 3 tier coach. Despite possessing valid reservations, the family was unable to enter the train due to the overwhelming crowd. Abdullah took to social media platform X to express his grievance and seek assistance from railway authorities. He stated that he was unable to board the train because of the heavy rush of unreserved passengers and demanded intervention as well as compensation.Videos shared by Abdullah captured scenes of disorder at the station. Large crowds were seen surrounding train coaches, pushing and jostling in an attempt to board. According to passengers, access to coaches became nearly impossible amid the rush. The footage also showed confusion on the platform as railway staff struggled to manage the crowd.Similar complaints emerged from other parts of the state. At Gonda station, passengers reported severe difficulties on trains including the Vaishali Express. Social media posts alleged that overcrowding was so intense that access to washrooms inside certain coaches was blocked. One passenger, identified as Abhishek, a website developer, wrote on X that unreserved passengers had occupied aisle spaces inside an AC coach, making movement within the compartment extremely difficult.In response to the surge in passenger numbers, railway authorities implemented several measures. Officials from North Eastern Railway and the Northern Railway’s Lucknow division said special trains were operated on routes such as Gorakhpur to Lucknow and Varanasi to Ballia to reduce pressure on regular services. Additional security personnel were also deployed at key stations including Lucknow Charbagh and Varanasi Junction to assist with crowd management.At Gorakhpur Junction, arrangements for examination candidates received positive feedback. Scouts and guides distributed free drinking water to aspirants, while officials encouraged candidates to use the special trains introduced for the examination period.Despite these efforts, criticism continued to mount. The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) questioned why more extensive arrangements had not been made in advance, arguing that special transport arrangements are often provided during elections but not for students and job seekers. In a statement on X, the party said the situation reflected a failure to ensure dignified travel for young people seeking employment opportunities.Railway officials maintained that part of the crowding was due to routine boarding and deboarding activities. However, they acknowledged the challenges created by the extraordinary volume of passengers and said efforts to manage the situation and facilitate smoother travel were continuing.Picture credit: Manoj Chhabra
