This is the pain of the cold nights of Banaras, trains getting delayed for hours, people shivering and passengers spending their nights on the platform.

News India Live, Digital Desk: Everyone talks about whose morning tea and the pleasant coolness of the Ganges ghats. But for the last few days, the view of Varanasi railway stations (Varanasi Junction and Banaras Station) is telling something else. Fog and cold winds may be soothing, but for the travelers who are travelling, it is no less than a test.

The journey which usually used to take a few hours is now taking half a day or more. The blanket of fog is so dense that it is difficult to see even a few feet ahead. Our Indian Railways and the passengers associated with it are having to bear the biggest brunt of this.

That silent wait for hours at the station
If you go to any platform of Varanasi station, you will see hundreds of people waiting with sheets spread out, children in their laps. The time of the train has passed, updates are being repeatedly asked at the Inquiry Desk, but the answer is “The train is still 5 more hours late.”

Imagine those elderly people and small children who have to face these cold winds on the open platform. Due to fog, signals are not visible properly and the speed has reduced to 20-30 kilometers. Be it Vande Bharat or Rajdhani, everyone’s speed has slowed down in front of the fog.

Hunger, thirst and that shivering cold
The passengers sitting in the trains stopped at the station are the most troubled. Water and food are running out and many times trains are parked outside. Many people had come to Varanasi not just for sightseeing but also to go back to work after having the darshan of Baba Vishwanath, but their plans have now been completely derailed. Office holidays are coming to an end, flight connections are being missed, but no one has any stress on the ‘arbitrariness of the weather’.

Situation in Varanasi and efforts of Railway Department
However, the Railways, on its part, is trying to run the trains slowly with the help of fog safety device, so that at least safety is maintained. But when visibility becomes zero, even drivers cannot take risks. Arrangements for shelters and blankets have been made at the stations for the passengers, but they are proving inadequate in front of the huge crowd.

A suggestion while passing by…
If you are booking train tickets for Varanasi in the coming days, then keep checking the live status of Railways continuously. If possible, keep extra food, water and enough warm clothes with you. Considering the current weather conditions, it would be better to keep a margin of 8-10 hours for the journey.

This cold of Banaras is pleasant, provided you are under your quilt. Only a passenger can understand the pain that passengers are enduring due to the cold and the wait on the platform.