With the festive season in full swing, Indian Railways has introduced a record 7,296 special trains to manage the unprecedented surge in passengers traveling for Diwali and Chhath. This represents a significant increase from last year, when 4,500 special trains were deployed. The large-scale effort, however, has not fully alleviated the challenges faced by passengers, many of whom continue to struggle with ticket availability.
"Central Railway alone is running 583 special train services, covering both reserved and unreserved categories, to meet the increased demand. Western Railway, on the other hand, has introduced thousands of special trips, with 200 designated as special Diwali and Chhath trains. Out of these, around 40 trains from the Mumbai Central Division of WR being operate for the Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, West Bengal, and Odisha. These efforts are being closely monitored at divisional and headquarter levels, ensuring the operations are well-coordinated by senior officials" said an official.
According to an official, apart from running special trains, Indian Railways is adding extra coaches to existing trains based on availability and demand. These trains provide a mix of AC, sleeper, and general coaches to accommodate passengers traveling to cities like Danapur, Gorakhpur, Chhapra, Banaras, and Asansol, among others. Southern routes to places like Karimnagar, Kochuveli, Kazipet, and Bengaluru are also covered with special trains from cities such as Mumbai, Pune, and Nagpur.
To improve passenger experience during this rush, Central Railway has increased the number of ticket counters, set up "May I Help You" booths, and created holding areas at major stations. With the support of NGOs, free drinking water, food, and toilet facilities are provided at these holding areas. Additionally, to manage crowd flow, systematic queue management systems and additional Railway Protection Force (RPF) personnel and ticket-checking staff are deployed at key locations. Similar arrangements also made of WR.
Passenger Frustrations Over Ticket Availability Persist
Despite the railways’ efforts, passengers are still facing significant difficulties securing confirmed tickets. Subhash Gupta, a passenger rights activist, shared his frustration, noting that his friend’s ticket, initially shown RAC, was recently reverted to waiting list status without clear explanation. Another passenger, Ram Sahay Saroj, recounted his struggle to get a confirmed ticket to Varanasi, eventually conceding that he may not be able to join his family for Diwali this year.
