A dejected SD Singh (left) and his family on Thursday. Picture by Ranjeet Kumar Dey

Unavailability of coaches in the festive season and apparent safety threat to senior citizens have left 400 and odd pilgrims disappointed barely 48 hours before the Jyotirlinga Yatra was to start.

Over phone calls to the devotees booked on the special trains, Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) cancelled the 10-day tour package, which would have taken them to Shirdi, Dwarka, Somnath and Ujjain among other religious places.

Cancelling the trip at the last minute did not go down well with the passengers who had made up their mind to enjoy the trip along with their family members and friends.

S.D. Singh, 70, a resident of Kankerbagh and retired principal of a government school, said: “Ten of us, including my wife and daughter, were booked on the train. Now, all the excitement is gone over a phone call just I had booked our tickets a month back and accordingly we had made our plan. The IRCTC also assured us complete refund of the fare. It was not monetary loss for the IRCTC rather goodwill.”

Patna IRCTC regional manager S.A. Karim said: “We did not get positive response from states concerned resulting threat to the safety of the senior citizens and other passengers. We are equally hurt and disappointed. It was really embarrassing for us to inform the passengers regarding the cancellation.”

On the other hand, railway officials had different reason behind the cancellation. East Central Railway chief public relations officer Arvind Kumar Rajak said: “One month back, we had sent a letter to the IRCTC, Patna, not to launch any tour packages as coaches would be not be free due to number of special trains to clear Chhath rush. It seems the IRCTC did not take the letter seriously.”

The special train was to start the journey from Rajendra Nagar Terminus and supposed to reach Manmad on November 9 as first destination for the Sai Darshan at Shirdi. On return journey, the passengers were scheduled to catch the train from Ujjain on November 16. A single person’s fare along with food and lodging in the standard category was Rs 13,950 while the AC comfort was costing Rs 18,950.