Festive railway rush overwhelms major stations across India
Passengers face packed trains and waits of up to 12 hours as travel intensifies for Diwali and Chhath Puja.
Major railway stations across Delhi, Mumbai, Uttar Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and Gujarat have been overwhelmed by festive travel, according to Urban Acres. Passengers have faced long queues, packed trains and waits of up to 12 hours during the Diwali and Chhath Puja period.
The pressure is most visible on routes connecting employment centres with Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand and other eastern states. In Gurgaon, overcrowding has been reported at railway and metro stations, while at Surat’s Udhna station, passengers have reportedly waited in queues for up to 12 hours.
Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said preparations began six months ago and included additional special trains, holding areas and extra ticket counters. He stated that the number of special trains operated during the festive season increased from around 12,000 last year to 18,000 additional special trains this year.
Vaishnaw said around 700 AI-enabled cameras have been installed for crowd monitoring and 20 stations have been provided with holding areas. In Delhi, Anand Vihar Railway Station is using its Passenger Facilitation Centre as a designated holding area to reduce platform congestion.
Western Railway chief public relations officer Vineet Abhishek said keeping passengers off platforms while they wait is important to prevent overcrowding and stampede-like situations. Personnel from the GRP, RPF and commercial department have been deployed in greater numbers to manage safety.
The Railway Minister said the peak rush occurred during Dhanteras, with another major surge expected around three days before Chhath Puja.