Railways operates special trains to clear festival rush

Pune railway division of Central Railway has launched an extensive operation to handle the massive surge of passengers travelling home for festivals

Pune: The Pune railway division of Central Railway has launched an extensive operation to handle the massive surge of passengers travelling home for festivals, including Chhath Puja, said Rajesh Kumar Verma, divisional railway manager (DRM).

Pune railway division of Central Railway has launched an extensive operation to handle the massive surge of passengers travelling home for festivals. ((PIC FOR REPRESENTATION))

According to officials, of the 12,011 special trains announced across the country for the festive season, 1,052 trips have been scheduled from the Pune division connecting destinations in Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Delhi, and Madhya Pradesh.

“So far, 442 trips have already been completed, carrying over 6.69 lakh passengers, and the remaining 610 trips are expected to transport another 8.54 lakh travellers,” Verma said, adding 34 special trains will run between October 23 and 26.

To manage the festive crowd, a holding area of 21,500 square feet has been created at the Pune Railway Station to accommodate around 3,500 passengers with their luggage. All Bihar-bound trains are stationed at platform number 1 which is directly linked to the holding area. To ensure smooth operations, 209 personnel from the Railway Protection Force (RPF) and Maharashtra Security Force (MSF) and Home Guards, along with 30 ticket-checking staff, have been deployed daily at Pune station for crowd control and passenger assistance.

Verma said Maharashtra, Bihar, and Uttar Pradesh account for over 77% of total passenger traffic.