NEW DELHI: North Western Railway has put in special arrangements for Diwali and Chhath Puja, with 44 pairs of special trains running to and from high-demand stations like Mumbai, Pune, Howrah, and nearby regions in Bihar. Captain Shashi Kiran, Chief Public Relations Officer (CPRO) of North Western Railway, said that additional coaches, volunteers, and Railway Protection Force (RPF) personnel have been deployed at stations to manage the passenger rush and ensure smooth travel.
“For Diwali and Chhath festivals, North Western Railways organised special arrangements. Currently, 44 pairs of special trains are operating from stations with high demand, such as Mumbai, Pune, Howrah, and nearby regions in Bihar. We are assessing the need for more special trains. With approval, we can operate additional trains. Additionally, we have added 174 coaches to nearly 60 regular trains, which are currently running. We are arranging holding areas in major stations, such as Jaipur, to reduce platform crowding,” he said. He also highlighted the additional measures to manage crowds and facilitate smooth travel. “We have deployed volunteers from NGOs, scouts, guides, and the Railway Protection Force, and also assigned train conductors to specific duties. We advise people to arrive at the station as per schedule; early arrivals should wait in the holding area. Entry is limited to the station’s incoming and outgoing points. Platform ticket sales are temporarily halted, but may be issued in special cases. We believe these measures will control the rush and encourage travel,” the CPRO added. Earlier, Central Railway announced that it will run 1,702 special trains for Diwali and Chhath Puja to help passengers reach their destinations and celebrate the festivals with their families.CPRO, Central Railway, Swapnil Nila told ANI on Saturday, “The Central Railway is preparing for the upcoming Chhath and Diwali festivals by operating 1,702 special trains to help passengers travel to their destinations to celebrate with their families. These trains will start from stations such as Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus, Lokmanya Tilak Terminus, Pune, Kolhapur, and Nagpur. Over 800 of these trains will serve routes to Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, West Bengal, and the northeastern states. Trains will connect various other locations within the country.” CPRO added that Extra counters have been set up at major stations for the convenience and safety of the passengers. He further added, “To ensure passenger comfort and safety, holding areas with a capacity of over 3,000 passengers each have been established at major stations, equipped with amenities such as food, water, toilets, and fans. Mobile UTS services are available for ticket booking, and additional ticket counters have been opened to reduce waiting time.” On Saturday, the Indian Railways announced strict action against social media accounts sharing misleading videos related to railway operations.The railways stated that during the festive season, several old or misleading videos have been circulated online, causing confusion among passengers.According to the administration, more than 20 such accounts have been identified, and FIRs are being filed. A 24×7 social media monitoring system has been established to track such antisocial activities.The railways urged social media users to avoid sharing videos of crowds or station incidents without verifying the facts.Passengers are urged to rely only on official Railway notifications and verified social media handles of the Ministry of Railways, i.e., @RailMinIndia on X, Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube for authentic information. (With agencies inputs)
