NAGESH Vs. UNION OF INDIA

JUDGEMENT

(1.) A train by name Awantika Express, running between Indore and Bombay, was started after a great deal, efforts and pressing demands by the travelling public of Malwa Region, with avowed object and declaration that it would provide the much need service of reaching Bombay Central next day morning around 8.00 a.m. This train numbered as 2962 UP and 2961 Down, leaves Indore at 8.25 p.m. and earlier used to arrive at Bombay Central at 11.45 a.m. The travelling public naturally, therefore, had been complaining about the timings and pressing hard their demand for an early arrival of the said train at Bombay Central. It is their grievance that their complaints were not heeded to, or ultimately rejected by the respondents, on grounds false and flimsy.

(2.) FOR some time past, the train now terminates at Bandra, instead of Bombay Central. It is the petitioners' case that as many as 16 trains from Gujrat as per Annexure P. 1, reach Bombay Central; out of them 11 are Mail and Express trains and five are passenger trains; while Awantika Express although termed and named as Super Fast express train, is terminated at Bandra, under the false pretext that Bombay Central Station is over crowded during morning hours, but the fact remains that the passenger trains from Gujrat and other parts as also other express trains are admitted at Bombay Central station. Petitioners, therefore, complain of hostile discrimination to the travelling public of this region, and particularly the city of Indore.

(3.) THE stand taken by the respondents in this regard, is that the platform capacity of Bombay Central is not such as to admit the trains of large number of coaches. Therefore, Awantika Express is required to he terminated at Bandra Terminus.