Every night around 9:30 PM a train leaves from Bathinda carrying hundreds of passengers but this is not a regular train as people across Punjab know it as the “Cancer Train.” This train travels about 325 km to Bikaner in Rajasthan and reaches there early in the morning and most of the passengers are cancer patients along with their family members and they travel all night to reach hospitals for treatment.
A large number of these patients go to the Acharya Tulsi Regional Cancer Hospital and Research Centre in Bikaner and one of the main reasons is that treatment there is more affordable compared to many other places. For patients travel on this train is free and their attendants also get up to 75% concession in ticket fares. Under the Mukh Mantri Punjab Cancer Raahat Kosh Scheme some patients can get financial help of up to ₹15 lakh for treatment in selected hospitals in Bikaner and for many poor families this support becomes their only hope.
The scene inside the train is emotional as patients carry files filled with medical reports and travel overnight hoping for recovery and over the years this train has become a strong symbol of the cancer crisis in parts of Punjab.
The term “Cancer Train” has also been used in public discussions and several leaders have referred to it while talking about the serious health situation especially concerns linked to water quality in the state. For many this train is not just a journey but a painful reminder of the struggle thousands of families face every day.
