Chaos Unleashed: Railway Passengers Left Bewildered by Misinformation from Private Tracking App
Railway travel can be challenging, and accurate information is crucial for passengers. However, recent events have highlighted the chaos and confusion that can ensue when misinformation is disseminated through private train tracking apps. In this instance, the ‘Where Is My Train’ app became the epicenter of a debacle, providing incorrect updates about trains operating between Chennai and Mangalore.
The Chennai-Mangalore Egmore Express (16159), scheduled for Wednesday, and the Mangalore-Chennai Egmore Express (16160), set for Thursday, were both canceled by the Railways due to the unprecedented floods in Chennai. Unfortunately, the ‘Where Is My Train’ app failed to reflect these cancellations, leading to mass confusion among hundreds of passengers who relied on the app for real-time updates.
While the Railways’ official app, the ‘National Train Enquiry System’ (NTES), accurately displayed the cancellations, many passengers seemed oblivious to this information. The discrepancy underscores the challenge of ensuring that official updates reach passengers who may prefer using private tracking apps, despite their reliance on data sourced from NTES.
It’s noteworthy that many private train tracking apps, including ‘Where Is My Train’ and ‘Ixigo,’ often utilize data provided by NTES, enhancing user-friendliness. However, these apps occasionally falter in conveying critical information, such as train cancellations, leaving passengers in the dark.
Most of these private apps are operated by agencies based in Noida, Mumbai, and Bengaluru, and their popularity is evident from the significant number of downloads. ‘Where Is My Train’ and ‘Ixigo’ boast over 10 crore downloads each, while the NTES app, the official source of information, is used by fewer than 1 crore people.
This incident serves as a reminder of the importance of reliable and accurate information dissemination in the realm of railway travel, emphasizing the need for passengers to stay informed through official channels to avoid confusion and inconvenience.
