A year has passed since Chakradharpur railway division built a separate passenger reservation system (PRS) building at Adityapur station, but it has still not started.

Commuters still book tickets from the present counter, which runs from an open shed, often in the company of stray cattle and dogs.

"The construction of the single-storey PRS building started five years ago. Though it is ready, it hasn't started functioning. I avoid the old present reservation counter in Adityapur station as the ambience is not good," said Trilocahan Singh, a garments trader and frequent traveller.

Not just Singh, many passengers like him avoid booking tickets from Adityapur station's old counter and opt for Bistupur, Sakchi and Tatanagar ones instead.

But Adityapur residents who don't want to commute to Jamshedpur have no other option but queue up at the ramshackle Adityapur booking counter along with muck, bovines and canines. "It feels nauseating. The new PRS building will come as a great relief," said Ameet Kumar Singh, a resident of S-Type area.

Railway authorities admit to the delay in opening the new PRS building in Adityapur station for the masses.

However, senior divisional commercial manager of Chakradharpur A.K. Agrawal said they were hoping to open its doors from August first week. "Though the PRS building is ready, some technical installations are yet to be finished. Once done, we will make the computerised ticket reservation system operational. We hope to start services from the new building from the first week of August," he said.

NGO Jan Kalyan Morcha, has repeatedly approached Chakradharpur railway division authorities to expedite work on the PRS building. "In 2013, we filed a PIL before Jharkhand High Court urging the railways to start reservations from the PRS building. We have often reminded the railway authorities too," NGO chief Om Prakash said.