Western Railway special trains for Diwali and Chhath Puja are operating with more than 70 trips to manage the festive passenger rush across Gujarat.
The services primarily connect Ahmedabad and nearby stations with destinations in northern and eastern India, including Bihar, West Bengal, Jharkhand and Uttar Pradesh.
Additional coaches have also been attached to several regular trains to increase passenger capacity. Western Railway has deployed additional security personnel and arranged holding areas and round-the-clock CCTV monitoring at Ahmedabad, Sabarmati and Asarva stations.
Divisional Railway Manager Ved Prakash said the arrangements were made in anticipation of higher passenger numbers during the festive period.
Special trains connect Gujarat with northern and eastern India
The special services operating in November include trains on the following routes:
- Sabarmati-Lalkuan
- Asarva-Kanpur Central
- Asarva-Agra Cantt
- Bhuj-Bandra Terminus
- Ahmedabad-Mangaluru Junction
- Sabarmati-Haridwar
- Ahmedabad-Darbhanga
- Gandhidham-Bhagalpur
- Sabarmati-Prayagraj
- Ahmedabad-Mumbai Central
- Ahmedabad-Malda Town
- Asarva-Prayagraj
- Ahmedabad-Rajgir
The railway administration has also accounted for passengers travelling on around 20 to 25 through-passing trains. These services arrive from Rajkot and Bhuj and pass through Ahmedabad and Sabarmati stations, Ved Prakash said.
110 additional RPF personnel deployed
The railway administration, Railway Protection Force (RPF), Government Railway Police (GRP) and traffic police have jointly prepared a plan to regulate passenger movement.
A total of 110 additional RPF personnel have been deployed across the three stations. The deployment includes 55 personnel at Ahmedabad, 40 at Sabarmati and 15 at Asarva.
An additional company of the Railway Protection Special Force (RPSF) has also been deployed at Ahmedabad station. Officers and staff have been assigned round-the-clock duties at all three stations.
RPF personnel in plain clothes are also monitoring station premises to prevent crimes against passengers.
Holding areas and CCTV surveillance to manage crowds
Separate arrangements have been made for passengers with reserved and unreserved tickets. Holding areas have been set up to accommodate passengers before they are taken to platforms in queues at designated boarding times.
The arrangements cover the movement of reserved passengers from station entry to platform access and train boarding. Women, senior citizens, persons with disabilities and passengers travelling with children are being given priority.
Ahmedabad station has 119 CCTV cameras, while Sabarmati station has 121. The railway administration has also submitted a proposal to install 60 additional cameras.
Staff are monitoring passenger movement from CCTV control rooms around the clock. At Sabarmati, queue management covers ticket counters, holding areas, platforms and train boarding.
Railways issues safety advisories to passengers
Public address systems and loudhailers are being used to guide passengers and prevent overcrowding.
Announcements advise passengers against pushing or jostling, standing on train footboards and accepting food or beverages from strangers. Passengers are also being alerted about precautions concerning the safety of women and children during travel.
The combined measures are aimed at regulating passenger movement and improving security during the Diwali and Chhath Puja travel period.
