Enhanced Railway Operations: 12,000 Special Trains Deployed for Chhath Puja Festival Rush in Bihar

The East Central Railway (ECR) zone has significantly increased Chhath special trains from 7,500 to 12,000 this year to accommodate the festive rush.

Patna:

Comprehensive preparations have been implemented across all stations in the Hajipur-headquartered East Central Railway (ECR) zone to manage the substantial influx of passengers during Chhath Puja celebrations, according to a senior railway official.

ECR General Manager Chhatrasal Singh stated on Wednesday that the railways' main focus is ensuring smooth passenger movement and maintaining safety by preventing any undesirable incidents throughout the festival period.

"We've expanded our Chhath special train services from 7,500 to 12,000 this year. We anticipate a massive number of visitors traveling to Bihar in the upcoming days for Chhath celebrations. Our arrival preparations are fully complete. However, the greater challenge will be managing their return journeys to workplaces after the festival concludes," he explained.

"While the return window is limited, our preparations for this phase are nearly finalized," Singh added.

Singh mentioned that holding areas at major terminals will be ready by Thursday night, after which the ECR will conduct a "dress rehearsal" to test all arrangements.

"Centralized monitoring will operate from Patliputra Rail Complex. Similar monitoring systems have been established across all divisional offices to oversee station traffic conditions," he said.

The General Manager highlighted that the number of special trains has been considerably increased throughout the zone this year, enabling travelers to reach even remote destinations exclusively via railway services.

"Additional unscheduled trains will be deployed from major terminals if large numbers of passengers without reservations arrive," he confirmed.

Singh also noted that enhanced security personnel deployment will be implemented during the Chhath Puja period.

"We are firmly committed to ensuring safe and smooth travel experiences during and after Chhath. Railway staff members are actively working toward this objective," he concluded.

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