Surat: Western Railway has denied reports circulating on social media claiming that migrant workers are leaving Surat in large numbers due to the so-called LPG shortage linked to the ongoing conflict in Middle Eastern countries. The railway administration clarified that passenger movement at Udhna railway station is normal and no situation of panic or mass migration exists.

Over the past few days, several videos showing heavy crowds at Udhna station have gone viral online, with claims that workers are fleeing the city due to a gas crisis. However, Western Railway said the videos are misleading and do not reflect the actual situation at the station.

In an official statement, the railway authorities said that the posts being shared for the last two weeks are creating unnecessary panic among the public. Surat, being a major diamond and textile hub, regularly witnesses heavy passenger traffic, and crowding at railway stations is not unusual, the statement said.

Railway officials also released passenger data for March 17, the day when the viral videos allegedly showing “uncontrolled crowding” were recorded, stating that the number of passengers travelling on major trains was within normal limits.

According to the data, Train No. 09097 (Udhna–Ayodhya Cantt) departed with around 1,800 passengers, Train No. 20961 (Udhna–Varanasi) had about 1,500–1,600 passengers, Train No. 20933 (Udhna–Danapur) carried around 1,800–1,900 passengers, Train No. 22947 (Udhna–Bhagalpur) had nearly 2,000–2,100 passengers, while Train No. 04156 (Udhna–Subedarganj) left with about 1,600–1,700 passengers.

The railway administration said passenger numbers were as per the capacity of the trains and there was no unusual rush. Adequate staff has been deployed at the station, and teams of the Railway Protection Force (RPF) and Government Railway Police (GRP) are continuously monitoring the situation to ensure safety and smooth movement of passengers.

Officials reiterated that there is no evacuation-like situation in Surat and appealed to people not to believe or share unverified videos on social media. DeshGujarat