Tatanagar: Railways to run 150 puja special trains for festive season

 Jamshedpur: With the onset of the festive season, Indian Railways has announced a major decision to ease the travel rush. From 21 September to 30 November, 150 Puja special trains will operate across the country, completing a total of 2024 trips.

Every year, passenger traffic increases significantly during Durga Puja, Diwali and Chhath. To manage this surge, Railways has planned additional services to ensure smooth and convenient travel. More than 12,000 trains are set to be run in total during the festive period, and notifications of specific routes have already begun to be issued.

According to the Railway authorities, South Central Railway will operate the highest number of 48 special trains, running primarily on Hyderabad, Secunderabad and Vijayawada routes, making 684 trips. East Central Railway will operate 14 trains for Bihar-bound passengers, covering Patna, Gaya, Darbhanga and Muzaffarpur, with 588 trips in total. Eastern Railway will operate 24 trains from Kolkata, Howrah and Sealdah, contributing 198 trips, while Western Railway will run another 24 trains serving Mumbai, Surat and Vadodara routes, making 204 trips. Southern Railway will operate 10 trains in Chennai, Coimbatore and Madurai routes, completing 66 trips.

Apart from these, Railways has also announced that special trains will be run from Bhubaneswar, Puri, Sambalpur, Ranchi, Tatanagar, Prayagraj, Kanpur, Bilaspur, Raipur, Bhopal and Kota. Officials clarified that this is the first installment of special services, and more trains will be announced depending on passenger demand.

Railways has appealed to passengers to make advance bookings to secure confirmed tickets. It has also requested that travelers follow all safety and hygiene guidelines during their journeys.

The decision aims to ensure seamless travel for passengers across the country during the festive season, enabling people to celebrate Durga Puja, Diwali and Chhath with their families. With special connectivity from metros to smaller towns, Railways hopes to provide relief to thousands of festive travelers.