Diwali rush: Over 8.20 lakh passengers travel in six days; Western Railway runs 73 special trains
Bilkul Online
Bilkul Online
Ahmedabad, Nov 7
More than 8.20 lakh passengers travelled from stations under the Ahmedabad Division of Western Railway in the first six days of November, prompting the railway administration to deploy additional staff, set up holding areas and operate 73 special train trips to manage the festive rush during Diwali and Chhath Puja. Between November 1 and 6, the division recorded 4.55 lakh passengers travelling on unreserved tickets and 3.65 lakh on reserved tickets.
Ahmedabad Railway Station accounted for more than 3.20 lakh passengers, followed by Sabarmati with 1.30 lakh and Asarwa with around 50,000. Together, the three stations handled more than five lakh passengers during the six days. To meet the additional demand, Western Railway is operating 73 special train trips from the Ahmedabad Division during November to destinations across Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Rajasthan, Maharashtra and other states. The services are being operated from Ahmedabad, Sabarmati, Asarwa, Bhuj and Gandhidham, connecting passengers to cities including Lucknow, Kanpur, Agra, Mumbai, Prayagraj, Muzaffarpur, Darbhanga, Barauni, Rajgir, Jaipur, Haridwar and Bhagalpur. Divisional Railway Manager (DRM) Ved Prakash visited Ahmedabad Railway Station late at night and remained there with railway officials to oversee arrangements for passengers travelling during the festive season.
He inspected the holding areas and other facilities and interacted with passengers heading to Uttar Pradesh and Bihar to enquire about their travel experience. He also extended Chhath Puja greetings and appealed to them to board trains in an orderly manner. Passengers raised slogans of ‘Chhath Maiya Ki Jai’ alongside the DRM and appreciated the arrangements. They said that after waiting for some time, they were allowed to board trains in an organised manner, allowing them to proceed towards their hometowns. Special holding areas have been set up at Ahmedabad and Sabarmati stations to prevent overcrowding on platforms. Seating, drinking water, lighting and fans have been provided at these locations for passengers waiting for their trains. The division has also arranged food packets, water bottles, chips and biscuits for general-class passengers. Voluntary organisations and NGOs are assisting in distributing food and drinking water.
Additional cleaning staff have been deployed, while water coolers and other drinking water facilities are being monitored regularly. For security and crowd management, additional Railway Protection Force (RPF) and Government Railway Police (GRP) personnel, ticket-checking staff and other railway employees have been deployed. CCTV cameras are being used to monitor station premises, platforms and crowded areas. Particular attention is being paid to regulating passenger movement at entry and exit gates, foot overbridges and platforms. A dedicated war room has also been set up in the control building at the DRM’s office to monitor passenger movement and train operations round the clock. During his inspection, Prakash reviewed CCTV surveillance, real-time crowd management, passenger movement on platforms, holding areas and queue-based boarding arrangements. He directed officials to coordinate immediately through the war room and take necessary action in the event of excessive crowding or passenger inconvenience at any station. Information about special train services, schedules and passenger facilities is being disseminated through electronic display boards, public announcement systems and social media. Train operations and punctuality are also being monitored regularly. The division has appealed to passengers to follow railway guidelines, maintain discipline on station premises and reach stations sufficiently ahead of their scheduled train departure times.
