Northern Railway rolls out 3,000+ special trains for Diwali and Chhath Puja, boosting travel options with added routes, berths, and crowd control measures.
Northern Railway has launched over 3,000 special train trips between October and November to accommodate festival season travelers. Approximately 85% of these trains are directed eastward, serving passengers traveling to states like Bihar and Uttar Pradesh.
As is customary during this season, many residents of Bihar and Uttar Pradesh are returning home to celebrate festivals like Diwali and Chhath Puja. Northern Railway is fully prepared to meet the heightened demand for travel. This year, it has scheduled an unprecedented number of special trains for festive travelers.
The General Manager highlighted that Northern Railway is committed to ensuring convenient travel for those journeying home to celebrate with loved ones.
3,000+ Special Trips Over Two Months
From October 1 to November 30, Northern Railway has scheduled a total of 3,144 special train trips, with the majority directed towards eastern regions, catering to passengers bound for Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand, West Bengal, and Assam.
To ensure smoother travel experiences during Diwali and Chhath Puja, an additional 195 special trips will operate between October 26 and November 7. This year’s count surpasses the 138 trips operated during the same period last year.
Special trains will depart from key stations, including Delhi Junction, New Delhi, and Anand Vihar Terminal, heading to major destinations such as Patna, Danapur, Muzaffarpur, Jogbani, Saharsa, Jaynagar, Katihar, Darbhanga, Gorakhpur, Raxaul, Varanasi, Gaya, and Shri Vaishno Devi Katra.
Enhanced Capacity with Additional Berths
Between October 26 and November 7, Northern Railway will add 49 extra coaches, offering a total of 1,70,434 additional berths. This is a significant increase from last year’s provision of 1,48,750 extra berths. Approximately 54,000 unreserved passengers will have access to these expanded services, compared to 41,000 last year. Additional trains may be scheduled if demand continues to rise.
Managing Crowds and Safety Measures
To prevent overcrowding and ensure safety, certain Bihar- and northeast-bound trains, such as the Bihar Sampark Kranti (12566), Sampark Kranti (12394), Vaishali Express (12554), and Purushottam Express (12802), will now depart from platform 16 at New Delhi Railway Station.
Separate Entry for Unreserved Passengers
For the first time, Northern Railway has introduced a dedicated entry gate at platform 16 of New Delhi Station for unreserved passengers. RPF and railway staff will oversee queue management at major stations for these passengers.
Mini Control Rooms for Real-Time Coordination
Northern Railway has set up mini control rooms at New Delhi, Old Delhi, Anand Vihar Terminal, and Hazrat Nizamuddin stations. Staffed by representatives from various departments, these control rooms ensure seamless coordination and timely responses to any operational issues. Special Duty Officers (SDOs) will be stationed at New Delhi, Delhi, and Anand Vihar Terminal during peak hours to oversee crowd management.
Waiting Areas to Ease Platform Congestion
To manage platform congestion, “Passenger Holding Areas” or pandals covering 72,000 square feet have been established at New Delhi Station and Anand Vihar Terminal. New Delhi Station’s Ajmeri Gate side now accommodates a 59,164-square-foot waiting area, while Anand Vihar Terminal’s space has increased to 12,360 square feet. This represents a threefold increase at New Delhi and a 1.5 times expansion at Anand Vihar compared to last year.
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