In preparation for the upcoming Diwali and Chhath Puja festivities, Indian Railways has announced the deployment of over 7,000 special trains, including clone trains, to accommodate the expected surge in passengers. Dilip Kumar, Executive Director of Information & Publicity at the Railway Board, highlighted several measures being introduced by the Railway Ministry to handle the increased demand.
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Expanded services and facilities
With a significant increase in the number of tourists visiting key areas, particularly Bihar and Uttar Pradesh, Indian Railways has expanded its services from major stations across the country. “The number of tourists increases in some important areas, important stations. Travellers come to Bihar and Uttar Pradesh in large numbers. And the railway has made a significant arrangement for them this year,” Kumar stated.
Key departure points for these special trains include Old Delhi, New Delhi, Anand Vihar, Ahmedabad, Mumbai, Chennai, Bengaluru, and Visakhapatnam.
“Previously, we ran 4,300 special trains, so this time to provide better facilities we increased the number of special trains,” added Kumar, explaining the almost doubled effort compared to previous years.
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Enhanced security and ticketing arrangements
The Railways has also ramped up security and ticketing facilities to streamline the travel experience. “We have also provided adequate security facilities of RPF, CRPF on all the stations, as well as we have increased the number of ticket counters too,” said Kumar, underscoring a focus on passenger safety and convenience during the busy festival period.
Clone trains to ease seat availability
In a move to meet the rising demand for popular routes, Indian Railways will deploy clone trains, which will run shortly after high-demand trains. This approach aims to provide more seating options for passengers on routes with limited capacity. Kumar explained, “The railway this time decided to run a clone version of popular trains. So, the most popular trains, which have a high demand, will run a clone train just after 15 minutes of that train.”
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Northern Railway’s special arrangements
During a recent press conference, Northern Railway General Manager Ashok Kumar Verma outlined specific measures the region is taking to manage the holiday season surge. Between October 1 and November 30, 2024, Northern Railway plans to operate 3,144 special train trips, the highest number across any regional zone.
“Around 85 percent of festival special trains shall cater to passengers going in the East direction to UP, Bihar, Jharkhand, West Bengal, and Assam,” stated the Northern Railway official. Additionally, over the peak travel period of 13 days, 65 extra trains will depart from Delhi each day, increasing available berths by approximately 120,000 compared to last year.
