Massive crowds have begun gathering at train stations to start their journey home for the Chhath Puja, which begins on November 17. The Central Railways has said that it is continuously monitoring trains to Bihar. Officials are on high alert after a stampede at the Surat train station in Gujarat last week claimed one life and injured numerous others.
Five or six trains go daily from Maharashtra to Bihar, all monitored by Central Railways’ chief public relations officer (CPRO), Shivraj Manaspure. The Railway Protection Force utilizes body cameras, dog squads, hand-held metal detectors, walkie-talkies, and hand announcement devices to govern the crowd.
In addition, he assured passengers that Central Railways has not had any stampedes in the five areas it services and that those who miss their trains are urged to catch the next one.
Central Railways said 525 more trains will run during the festivities to accommodate the increased demand. The trains were designed for the projected 7.5 million passengers going to train stations between October 1 and December 31.
He also mentioned the creation of 110 new special trains in Bihar and 190 new trains in UP. In Maharashtra, 116 additional trains have been made accessible. Over 350 trains carry passengers daily between the many states, and it doesn’t even include the special trains.
Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus (CSMT), Dadar station, and Lokmanya Tilak Terminus (LTT) are just a few of Maharashtra’s busiest hubs. The Government Railway Police and the Railway Protection Force are keeping a watch on these stations.
Shivraj Manaspure claims that information desks have been put up at the busiest train terminals to allow waiting passengers to sit. He said that the general and sleeper classes are seeing increases in their coach populations.
We’ve begun releasing additional trains early in preparation. We have parades, too, and we never seem to run out since there’s always some creative use for the spare cars. We have designed multiple rakes. We are entirely self-sufficient. The Indian Railways representative said their service presently moves between 10 and 12 million passengers daily.
He promised that trains with a wintry theme would be added shortly. The railroads have begun their preparations for the upcoming Chhath Puja celebration.
The East Coast Railway has stated that it would run a special train between Puri in Odisha and Patna in light of the holiday rush ahead of Chhath Puja.
An employee from East Central Railways has said that the unique trains would continue operating till the end of the month. Add cars to the regular trains may be required to transport everyone on the waiting list. Over 2000 excursions of special trains to Bihar are expected, according to the ECR official quoted in HT.
Western Railways officials said they have scheduled more trains to run between Surat and Udhna in Gujarat to prepare for the upcoming vacation season. Train operators have assured passengers that the Government Railway Police and the Railway Protection Force would be on standby to ensure their safety and manage the crowds.
The Western Railways has scheduled 400 round-trip excursions for 46 sets of special trains heading to different sites. The Surat and Udhna train stations are the starting or ending points for 27 pairs of trains.
