New Delhi: In preparation for the Chhath Puja festival, Railway Board Chairman Satish Kumar has announced that Indian Railways will operate 195 special trains over 13 days from the Delhi area. This initiative aims to help passengers travel during the busy festival season.
On Friday, Indian Railways confirmed plans to run special trains across the country, ensuring that passengers can reach their hometowns safely for Chhath Puja. Dilip Kumar, the Executive Director of Information and Publicity for the Railway Board, mentioned that over 160 trains were operated on Thursday, with plans for more than 170 trains on Sunday.
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Enhanced arrangements at major stations
Special arrangements have been made at key stations, including New Delhi, Anand Vihar, Ahmedabad, Surat, Baroda, Mumbai, Bandra, Vijayawada, Vishakhapatnam, Hyderabad, Chennai, and Bengaluru.
"The special arrangements are for people travelling to their hometowns during Chhath Puja. We are running various trains to Bihar and Uttar Pradesh to accommodate the rush. Yesterday, we ran more than 160 trains, and today we plan to run over 170 trains. Government Railway Police (GRP) and Railways Protection Force (RPF) staff have been deployed to manage the crowd, and Rail Sewaks are available to assist travellers with any questions," he said.
Additional coaches have been added to the special trains, and hundreds of CCTV cameras have been installed at the stations to ensure passenger safety and monitor crowd movement.
"Tickets can be booked through both online and offline systems. Those unable to obtain confirmed tickets can access unreserved seats. We have restricted unnecessary movement of travellers, and Rail Sewaks are on hand to assist senior and physically challenged citizens," Kumar added.
Chhath Puja
Chhath is an important festival mainly celebrated in the northern and eastern regions of India, including Uttar Pradesh, Jharkhand, and Bihar. The festival is dedicated to the Sun God and involves rituals and prayers to thank the Sun for sustaining life on Earth.
Agency
Published: 04 Nov 2024, 07:53 am IST
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