On Friday, Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnav announced that general coaches will be added to 108 trains during the festive season. (News18 Hindi)
Thousands of people travel to Bihar during Diwali and Chhath Puja, prompting Indian Railways to make special arrangements
Despite the presence of dozens of trains running from Delhi to Bihar, securing a confirmed seat during festivals remains a constant challenge. Thousands of people travel to Bihar during Diwali and Chhath Puja, prompting Indian Railways to make special arrangements. On Friday, Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnav announced that general coaches will be added to 108 trains during the festive season.
Considering the passengers’ convenience during festive season, the Railways has decided to increase the number of general coaches in 108 trains. Vaishnav stated on Friday that a provision of 12,500 general coaches has been made for special trains during Chhath Puja and Diwali. A significant number of Biharis travel home from Delhi and other parts of the country during these festivals, leading to shortage of trains, buses, and flights.
As of now, 5,975 trains have been notified for the financial year 2024-25. With this decision of Indian Railways, it is estimated that around 1 crore passengers will be able to return home during the festive season.
In the previous financial year (2023-24), a total of 4,429 special trains were operated during the festive period. Over a thousand more trains have been planned for this year compared to last year.
All zones of Indian Railways have released a list of special trains to be operated during Diwali and Chhath. The Northern Railway will run the highest number of trains, with 130 planned, while the SCR zone has a plan for 104 special trains. The ECR zone will run 99 trains. The Indian Railways has decided to operate special trains from all zones to ensure a smooth journey for passengers.
