Passengers walking after a minor fire in the train engine.
A minor fire broke out in the engine of the Vasco–Kulem train near Dabolim on Monday evening, leaving several passengers stranded for nearly an hour.
Sources said the incident occurred around 7:45 pm, when smoke was noticed from the engine. “The fire was minor in nature and was extinguished with the help of three fire extinguishers. However, the train was halted and had to wait for a new engine, leaving several passengers stranded for a very long time,” a passenger said.
While some passengers chose to walk along the tracks towards the nearby road to continue their journey by bus or other means, many were forced to wait at the site.
“The engine took around 45 minutes to arrive and finally the train was ready to move. It was a relief,” the passenger added.
Frustration among regular commuters on this route has been growing ever since the introduction of the DEMU (Diesel Electric Multiple Unit) train.
“We are facing a lot of issues but nothing is being done. Almost every four days there’s some fault, and we face difficulties. Today, the engine caught fire and they could not do much,” another passenger said.
“The train neither leaves on time nor reaches on time, causing immense hardships. We left Kulem at 5 pm and reached Vasco only at around 9 pm. The station manager also does nothing. He only asks us to write a complaint, but no action is taken. I feel even the complaint register is full now,” the passenger added.
Passengers have demanded government intervention to replace the train or restore the previous service that was more reliable.
“The common man is suffering. We even face huge hardships when the train halts near the Ammonia unit of the Paradeep Phosphates Limited factory at Sancoale station for over an hour during stoppages for other trains to pass,” the passenger said.
