In a heartwarming gesture, the Indian Railways ensured that a wedding party traveling from Mumbai could reach Guwahati on time, despite facing a delay, by briefly detaining a connecting train at Howrah station. The incident unfolded on Friday when the ‘baraat’ (groom’s party) was in a race against time to board the Howrah-Guwahati Saraighat Express, which was scheduled to depart at 4 p.m.
Wedding Party’s Urgent Plea Reaches Railway Authorities
Chandrasekhar Wagh, a member of the 34-strong wedding party, posted a plea on X (formerly Twitter) after the Mumbai-Howrah Gitanjali Express was delayed and the wedding party feared they would miss their connection to Assam. Wagh’s message reached the Howrah Division Railway Manager (DRM), triggering an urgent response from the higher authorities.
In a rare move, the authorities decided to delay the departure of the Saraighat Express by a few minutes to accommodate the wedding party. The Gitanjali Express arrived at Howrah station at 4:08 p.m., and Railway officials swiftly arranged for the baraat members to be transported by battery-operated vehicles from the new complex to the platform where the Saraighat Express was waiting.
As the wedding party boarded the train, the Saraighat Express, which was bound for Guwahati, departed shortly after, albeit a few minutes later than its original schedule.
Indian Railways’ swift action and coordination were praised by the wedding party and fellow passengers. An official from Eastern Railways expressed appreciation for the support of passengers on both trains and the efforts of senior railway officials, including the Railway Minister, Chief Commercial Manager, and DRM. “It is our moral responsibility to deliver services like these,” the official said.
In a post on X, Eastern Railways also thanked passengers and reiterated its commitment to delivering exceptional services in such situations, stating, “IR arranged to detain Saraighat Express for a few minutes so that a marriage party with ‘dulha’ coming by Gitanjali Express and going to Guwahati can catch the train.”
The bridegroom’s family expressed their gratitude for the Railway’s timely help, ensuring that the wedding party could reach their destination and the wedding festivities could proceed without a hitch.
