Indian Railways announced it will operate more than 500 special trains starting November 8 to manage the return rush of passengers after the Chhath Puja festivities. The special trains are aimed at accommodating the high number of travellers heading back to their home towns.
The Railways Board said that special trains would be deployed from key divisions such as Samastipur and Danapur, and additional services will be arranged based on local demand.
The rush for Chhath Puja is expected to peak after sunrise on November 8, with Indian Railways scheduling 164 special trains for that day. Following the surge, 160 special trains are planned for November 9, 161 for November 10, and 155 for November 11. The additional services aim to ensure sufficient capacity for the expected increase in passenger numbers during the festive period.
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On November 4, Indian Railways set a record by transporting 120.72 lakh passengers in a single day. This included 19.43 lakh reserved passengers and 101.29 lakh unreserved non-suburban passengers. Suburban traffic also hit a record high on the same day, with 180 lakh passengers, marking the highest single-day figure of the year.
Over the past 36 days, Indian Railways has transported 65 lakh passengers on 4,521 special trains, providing critical support during the ongoing Durga Puja, Diwali, and Chhath Puja celebrations.
To address the surge in demand from October 1 to November 30, Indian Railways has announced a total of 7,724 special trains, a 73% increase from last year’s 4,429 services. Over the past four days, an average of 175 special trains per day have been operating to cater to the large number of Chhath Puja travellers.
(With inputs from agencies)