On September 23, Indian Railways announced plans to operate 12,011 special trains for Diwali and Chhath Puja, up from 7,724 last year, marking a 55.5 per cent increase.
Minister for Railways Ashwini Vaishnaw visited New Delhi Railway Station late Tuesday evening to review crowd management at India’s second-busiest station, even as the world’s fourth-largest rail transport operator runs a record number of special services to meet the festive rush.
Vaishnaw inspected the control room on Platform No. 1, which monitors the entire station. He interacted with passengers on platforms and onboard an Amrit Bharat Express sleeper coach to understand their travel experience. He also visited the Yatri Suvidha Kendra to gather feedback on passenger amenities.
Speaking to the media, Vaishnaw said, “Indian Railways has made extensive arrangements to ensure that passengers do not face any inconvenience despite the heavy rush. Nearly 1.2 million railway employees are engaged in serving passengers day and night.”
He noted that around 425,000 passengers are travelling daily outwards from the Delhi area. Major stations such as Surat, Mumbai, Coimbatore, Hyderabad, and Bengaluru are under continuous monitoring, with even in-motion trains being tracked. Every division and zone has its own war room, ensuring round-the-clock surveillance.
On September 23, Indian Railways announced plans to operate 12,011 special trains for Diwali and Chhath Puja, up from 7,724 last year, marking a 55.5 per cent increase.
Between October 1 and 20, the Railways successfully operated 4,211 special trains, serving over 10 million passengers. To meet the continuing surge, another 7,800 special trains are planned in the coming days.
In the New Delhi area alone, 2.104 million passengers were facilitated between October 16-20, compared to 1.971 million during the same period last year, an increase of 6.75 per cent.
In a post on X, Vaishnaw said, “We studied historical traffic patterns, analysed passenger surge data and created mechanisms for coordination. We created holding areas at more than 70 stations. We increased ticketing facilities at more than 100 stations.”
Satish Kumar, Chairman and CEO, Railway Board, Ashok Kumar Verma, General Manager, Northern Railway, and other senior officers were also present during the inspection.