Indian Railways Deploys 145 Special Puja Trains and Enhanced Services for Chhath Festival Season

North Eastern Railway has announced the deployment of 145 special puja trains to accommodate the surge in passenger traffic during the festive season, ensuring continuous service until all travelers return home after Chhath celebrations.

Gorakhpur, Uttar Pradesh - According to Pankaj Kumar Singh, Chief Public Relations Officer for North Eastern Railway, an unprecedented number of special trains are currently operating to manage festival crowds.

In conversation with ANI, Singh elaborated: "We've implemented special arrangements for Diwali and Chhath festivals, with 145 special puja trains now in service. Of these, 95 originate from North Eastern Railway. During Diwali alone, approximately 200,000 passengers traveled through our network in just 24 hours."

He emphasized the railway's ongoing commitment to passenger safety: "These special services will continue operating after Chhath until all travelers have returned home. We've implemented comprehensive crowd management strategies at major stations, establishing passenger holding areas equipped with enhanced lighting, train information displays, public address systems, and drinking water facilities. Additional security personnel have also been deployed."

Similarly, North Western Railway has introduced special arrangements for the festive period, with 44 pairs of special trains connecting high-demand destinations including Mumbai, Pune, Howrah, and regions across Bihar.

Captain Shashi Kiran, CPRO of North Western Railway, informed ANI that supplementary coaches, volunteers, and Railway Protection Force (RPF) personnel have been stationed at key locations to handle increased passenger volumes and ensure smooth operations.

"North Western Railways has organized special arrangements for Diwali and Chhath festivals. Currently, 44 pairs of special trains are serving high-demand routes to destinations like Mumbai, Pune, Howrah, and Bihar regions. We're continuously evaluating the need for additional special services and can deploy more with proper authorization. Furthermore, we've supplemented approximately 60 regular trains with 174 extra coaches. Major stations like Jaipur now feature designated holding areas to reduce platform congestion," he stated.

Meanwhile, Indian Railways has announced strict measures against social media accounts distributing misleading content related to railway operations.

The railway administration has identified over 20 social media handles sharing outdated or misleading videos that have caused confusion among passengers during this busy period. Legal proceedings have been initiated against these accounts, with a 24-hour social media monitoring system now active to identify such problematic content.

Railway authorities urge social media users to avoid sharing unverified videos of station crowds or incidents. Passengers are advised to rely exclusively on official Railway communications and verified social media accounts of the Ministry of Railways (@RailMinIndia on X, Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube) for accurate information.