As the Diwali season is around the corner, a major travel push has been announced for Surat’s railway station to accommodate the rush of migrant workers who are heading for Bihar and Uttar Pradesh. Special trains have been announced from Surat, Udhna, and Bhestan stations to meet the growing demand. Many of the workers are from Surat’s textile and diamond industries.
New trains announced from Surat
The railway authorities have added new trains to manage the increased passenger flow. A new train has been included for Gorakhpur from Udhna and has begun its services from Sunday. A total of 30 trains for UP and Bihar have been scheduled from Surat station of which 18 are from Udhna and 7 are from Bhestan. According to railway official, the departures of these trains have been fixed from three key locations in the city. The goal behind this initiative is to streamline travel operations and minimize overcrowding at the station.
Security measures enhanced
The Western Railways has also announced additional festival special trains for handling the Diwali rush, services are also expected to expand for Chhath Puja holidays. The number of travelers is expected to increase during this festive season. The Government Railway Police has deployed its officials on the platform to manage the crowd and to ensure safe boarding. Some trains will be operating every week and some have been scheduled for multiple times in a week to meet the surplus demand. The announcement for additional trains along with safety measures has been taken so that passengers could experience efficient travel and reach home safely during this festive season.
On Sunday, around ten persons suffered injuries during a stampede at Mumbai’s Bandra railway station when hundreds of people were trying to board the train that was heading to Gorakhpur.
(With inputs from PTI)