Hyderabad, July 28 -- A consumer commission here has directed Southern Railway to pay Rs 35,000 to a passenger who missed a business meeting and a return flight after his train was diverted, delaying his journey by nearly 16 hours.

The Hyderabad District Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission-I held the railways deficient in service for not informing the passenger in advance about the diversion.

The complainant, Ramakrishna, a cashew trader from Kothapet, had booked a premium tatkal ticket for Rs 1,428 on the Tamil Nadu Superfast Express from Chennai to New Delhi to attend a business meeting in the national capital on September 30, 2024, according to the order.

He reached Chennai railway station on September 28 to board the train, only...