Since the festive season coincides with the peak winter season, the Indian Railways has come up with a detailed plan to handle the rise in the flow of passengers during this period. With the advent of the festive season, millions of passengers are moving to celebrate holidays, marriages, and the ending of the year, and the Indian Railways have announced the running of a considerable number of special trains.
The demand for rail transport historically goes up at this time, especially for long-distance routes that link the big cities with the states inNorth and Eastern parts ofIndia. In this regard, the railway zones have been instructed to monitor the bookings and include extra trains where the demand exceeds the capacity. The special train services are being provided along the Delhi-Patna, Mumbai-Varanasi, Bengaluru-Kolkata, Chennai-Guwahati, and rail routes passing throughUttar Pradesh, Bihar, Rajasthan, and West Bengal.
The special trains comprise fully reserved services as well as extra coaches attached to various express and superfast trains, as announced. The intention is to ensure the accommodation of passengers who have long waiting lists in various routes during festival and winter season holidays. The increased seating capacities are expected to ensure that the overcrowding that predisposes passengers to dangerous travel in unreserved compartments is eliminated.
Winter is another factor that has also been planned for. Delays are also caused by fogs in the northern parts of the country, which in most cases happen in the morning and late in the evenings. In light of this, changes in operations have also been made. Some timetables have been changed; there is better coordination, and train movements are also closely monitored. The control rooms are operating even during nights.
The need for passenger convenience has been identified as one of the major focuses. The railway authorities have improved the arrangements on the ground at major stations related to crowd control, more ticket counters, and more personnel on the ground. The focus on the availability of drinking water points, waiting halls, medical aid booths, and hygienic toilets, particularly in junction areas which experience a large footfall, has been closely monitored. Emphasis has also been given to the safety of women, senior citizens, and children during peak periods.
Additionally, online portals are also contributing immensely to the control of rush during the festival season. Passengers are being advised to use online services of the railway apps and systems for knowing the status of the train and platform details. This will help passengers plan their routes more effectively and also avoid last-minute confusion while reaching the stations. Passengers have also been advised by the authorities to avoid traveling through unauthorized stations.
The security measures have also been increased at stations and trains. The Railway Protection Force has stepped up patrolting, especially on platforms, pedestrian overbridges, and in coaches of special trains. The surveillance systems are also being closely monitored with the intention of reacting promptly in the event of any emergency or suspicious occurrence. The idea here is to ensure a safe environment for traveling during the peak period.
The Railways administration reported that the operation of special trains is an ongoing exercise and additional services will continue to be introduced based on cargo demands. The demands coming from zonal offices and booking reports are inspected daily to ensure that routes need to be prioritized for an immediate increase in capacity to meet the sudden surge in demands for travel services.
Despite the initial mixed reactions, passengers have positively received the development, which will see more trains join the network. Passengers have noted that the move will reduce the waiting list, which will be a major improvement regarding travel comfort. However, safety measures have been emphasized to be followed by passengers. In light of all these, the Indian Railways plans to make traveling safe, convenient, and properly managed during the festival season as well as the winters. All these move in favor of the Railways, as it strives to maintain its efficiency in light of the busiest season of the year.
