In order to ensure the safe, seamless, on-time, and comfortable transportation of passengers during the ongoing Holi holiday rush throughout the nation, the Indian Railways will continue to maintain heightened operational readiness this week by operating special trains, according to an official statement released on Tuesday.
Over 5. 5 million passengers traveled from stations under the jurisdiction of North Western Railway during this time. It’s worth noting that during the 21 trips of new special trains that ran on March 1 and 2 alone, over 1. 1 million passengers traveled.
Moreover, the operating time of 30 specialized trains, which made 216 journeys, was increased. According to the statement, 141 additional coaches of different types were added to 53 regular trains in March to help meet the increased demand.
New special trains were introduced with a total of 295 trips to locations such as Amritsar, Mysuru, Kakinada, Gomti Nagar, Bhavnagar Terminus, Howrah, Tirupati, Mau, Sabarmati, Danapur, Asansol, Chennai Egmore, Vadodara, and Kolkata, as well as Gorakhpur, Samastipur, and Yog Nagari Rishikesh.
According to the statement, 54 special trains traveled to key locations such as Gorakhpur, Mysuru, Kakinada, Bhavnagar Terminus, Howrah, Tirupati, Danapur, Kolkata, Sabarmati, and Asarva in the week before Holi.
To improve passenger assistance and crowd management in busy stations, civil defense volunteers are also being deployed.
To manage passenger flow, formal crowd control methods were put into place at key locations. To facilitate entry, barricades and holding areas were constructed, and sufficient Railway Protection Force (RPF) troops and ticket inspection workers were deployed to ensure security and order.
Passengers were given assistance by help desks, and electronic display boards and ongoing announcements made sure that train updates were delivered in a timely manner. RailOne App and ATVMs were used in awareness campaigns to encourage ticket sales. Employees who were on duty stayed vigilant for quick action anywhere it was needed.
Continuous monitoring, together with frequent oversight from top officials at the headquarters and divisional levels, ensured that specialized trains operated on schedule. Furthermore, the statement stated that round-the-clock war rooms operated through coordinated inter-departmental actions to ensure efficient management and oversight during the holiday rush.
At key stations, systematic line management, phased boarding, and efficient crowd control methods are being used, while special trains are running throughout several zones to make the trip home easier.
The statement continued that railway staff, such as Rail Karmayogis and RPF squads, keep a close eye on the ground at all times, monitor passenger traffic, help women, the elderly, and disabled travelers, and offer vital assistance throughout the trip.