Indian Railways: The Railway Board announced on Wednesday that it has arranged over 500 special trains to manage the return rush of travelers heading back from their hometowns following Chhath Puja. These services will begin on November 8 to meet the high demand.
“Special trains have been scheduled to accommodate returning passengers, with additional services from the Samastipur, Danapur, and other divisions as needed to meet local demand,” the Board stated in a press release. The rush is expected to start after sunrise on November 8, with 164 special trains arranged for that day.
Indian Railways has also scheduled 160 special trains for November 9, 161 for November 10, and 155 for November 11, aiming to ensure sufficient capacity to manage the expected increase in travelers during the festive period.
On November 4, Indian Railways reported a record number of passengers in a single day, transporting 120.72 lakh people. This included 19.43 lakh reserved passengers and 101.29 lakh unreserved non-suburban passengers — a number exceeding the combined populations of Australia and New Zealand. Suburban traffic also reached a record of 180 lakh passengers on the same day, marking the highest single-day figure of the year.
In the past 36 days, Indian Railways achieved a remarkable feat, transporting 65 lakh passengers on 4,521 special trains. “These additional services have been crucial in facilitating smooth travel during the Durga Puja, Diwali, and Chhath Puja celebrations,” the Railway Board added.
