Indian Railways has rolled out a robust plan to ensure safe and convenient travel for passengers heading home for the Chhath Puja celebrations. To manage the festive rush, Railways ran over 160 special trains on Thursday, while 170 more trains are expected to operate today, catering to major routes from Delhi, Mumbai, Ahmedabad, Chennai, and Bengaluru to high-demand destinations like Bihar and Uttar Pradesh.

Dilip Kumar, Executive Director of Information and Publicity for the Railway Board, shared that additional coaches have been added to trains, while stations have enhanced security measures, including CCTV surveillance, to handle the high volume of travellers. Key stations like New Delhi, Anand Vihar, Ahmedabad, Surat, and Bandra have introduced special arrangements to ensure a smooth experience for passengers.

Crowd Management

“Special arrangements are made for people travelling to their hometowns for Chhath Puja. We’re running special trains to clear the rush,” said Kumar. Additional support personnel, such as Government Railway Police (GRP) and Railways Protection Force (RPF) staff, have been stationed to manage the crowd, with Rail Sevaks on duty to assist senior citizens and those with disabilities. Ticketing has been streamlined with options for both reserved and unreserved seats, allowing passengers to book through online and offline systems. Special gates have also been designated for reserved and unreserved travellers to facilitate organized boarding.

Passengers have expressed appreciation for the improved service. Shailendra, a commuter, praised the special arrangements, saying, “Indian Railways has ensured passengers’ safety this year, helping everyone reach their hometowns on time.” Bhushan, another passenger travelling to Patna, also noted the enhanced cleanliness and efficient management at New Delhi station.

Chhath Puja, a significant festival for communities in Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, and eastern India, sees a massive migration of people who return home for the celebrations. In response to this surge, Indian Railways has installed hundreds of CCTV cameras and set up dedicated RPF desks at stations to assist travellers and monitor crowd movement closely. The station environment has been further enhanced with waiting-room food stalls selling items at reasonable rates, aiming to provide a comfortable and accessible experience for all travellers.

Eastern Railways operates 50 special trains

In addition to the central railway initiative, the Eastern Railway has expanded its services this year, operating 50 special trains, up from 33 last year, along with 400 additional services. “We’ve included more general coaches this time to accommodate the increase in travellers,” said Kaushik Mitra, Eastern Railway’s Chief Public Relations Officer.

Despite the improvements, some passengers pointed out challenges. Rajeev, another commuter on the Lokmanya Tilak Express, commented on the impact of high demand on ticket availability, noting that while there have been improvements in sanitation and general service, securing tickets remains an ongoing issue. “Since travel on waitlisted tickets was restricted, it’s been more challenging,” he remarked, though he acknowledged the visible effort by the government.

Indian Railways continues to make strides toward improving the travel experience during one of the busiest times of the year. This year’s special services for Chhath Puja reflect the Railways’ commitment to ensuring that travellers across the country can safely reach their hometowns to observe this traditional festival.