Indian Railways Prepares for Chhath Puja Rush with Special Trains and Arrangements

Indian Railways has announced extensive plans to handle the surge of passengers traveling for the Chhath Puja festival. The Railway Board Chairman, Satish Kumar, conducted an inspection on Sunday, highlighting various measures to ensure smooth and safe travel.

Special Trains for Chhath Puja

To accommodate the increased number of travelers, Indian Railways will operate 195 special trains from Delhi over a 13-day period. On Sunday alone, 70 trains departed from Delhi, with 16 of them being special trains and 4 unannounced trains added to manage the heavy demand. Passengers shared positive feedback with Kumar about the improved facilities this year.

Nationwide Train Services

Dilip Kumar, Executive Director of Information and Publicity for the Railway Board, reported that over 160 trains were operational on Thursday, and 170 trains ran on Sunday. Major stations with special arrangements include New Delhi, Anand Vihar, Ahmedabad, Surat, Baroda, Mumbai, Bandra, Vijayawada, Vishakhapatnam, Hyderabad, Chennai, and Bengaluru. These special trains primarily serve routes to Bihar and Uttar Pradesh, where Chhath Puja is widely celebrated.

Safety and Crowd Control Measures

Indian Railways has taken extra steps for safety and crowd management:

Deployment of Security Staff: Government Railway Police (GRP) and Railway Protection Force (RPF) personnel are stationed at key locations.

Rail Sewaks: Staff members, known as Rail Sewaks, are on hand to help travelers, especially the elderly and those with disabilities.

CCTV Surveillance: Hundreds of CCTV cameras have been installed at major stations to monitor crowd movement.

Ticket Booking and Seat Availability

Tickets for these special trains can be booked through both online and offline systems. For those without confirmed seats, unreserved seats are available. The Railways has also added extra coaches to some trains to increase capacity and has restricted unnecessary movement at stations to avoid overcrowding.

About Chhath Puja

Chhath Puja is a major festival celebrated in northern and eastern India, particularly in Uttar Pradesh, Jharkhand, and Bihar. It is a time when many people travel back to their hometowns to celebrate with family.

With these extensive measures, Indian Railways aims to make the Chhath Puja travel season as convenient and secure as possible for passengers.

Also read: Key Events of the Day: Monday, November 4, 2024

SUMMARY

Indian Railways has announced special arrangements to manage the high passenger flow during the Chhath Puja festival. Over a 13-day period, 195 special trains will operate from Delhi, with extra coaches added and security staff deployed at major stations like New Delhi, Mumbai, and Bengaluru. CCTV cameras are set up to monitor crowds, and Rail Sewaks are available to assist elderly and differently-abled passengers. Ticket bookings can be made online or offline, and unreserved seats are available for those without confirmed tickets. Chhath Puja, widely celebrated in Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, and Jharkhand, sees a large number of people traveling home to celebrate with family.