Massive rush of people returning home for Diwali-Chhath, long queues at Delhi-Mumbai railway stations; efforts to provide relief with special trains

Amid the rush to return home for Diwali and Chhath Puja, the difficulties for passengers traveling from major cities of the country to Uttar Pradesh and Bihar have increased. A massive crowd of passengers is gathering at railway stations in Delhi and Mumbai. Getting a confirmed seat on many regular trains is difficult, while due to long waiting lists, a large number of people are forced to travel in general coaches.

Along with railway stations, crowds of passengers are also visible at bus stands. The number of passengers traveling to Bihar and Eastern Uttar Pradesh is particularly high. In their desire to reach home on time for the festival, people are waiting for hours in queues to board trains.

Queues since late night at Mumbai's LTT station, holding areas created

Special arrangements have been made at Mumbai's Lokmanya Tilak Terminus (LTT) in view of the passenger rush during the festival. Holding areas with sheds have been set up at the station for passengers so that they can be held in an organized manner before the train arrives and sudden crowding on the platform can be avoided.

Railway Protection Force (RPF), ticket checking, and commercial department staff have been deployed. Facilities such as drinking water, toilets, fans, lighting, mobile charging, and food and beverages have also been made available for passengers. Railway officials are continuously monitoring the arrangements.

To control the crowd, Central Railway has temporarily stopped the sale of platform tickets at Mumbai's Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus (CSMT), Dadar, LTT, Thane, and Kalyan stations from 5 to 15 November.

Platform tickets stopped at major Delhi stations as well

In Delhi too, the railways have taken strict steps in view of the increasing number of passengers during the festivals. The sale of platform tickets has been stopped at New Delhi, Delhi Junction, Hazrat Nizamuddin, Ghaziabad, Anand Vihar Terminal, and Anand Vihar Halt from 3 to 14 November.

The objective of the railways is to reduce unnecessary crowding on platforms and ensure the safe movement of passengers. However, exemptions have been given under prescribed rules for those accompanying elderly, sick, disabled, and passengers needing assistance.

Railways increased the number of special trains

In view of the rush of passengers going home for Diwali and Chhath, the railways have run several festival special trains. Northern Railway has scheduled a special train 04022/04021 from New Delhi to Gorakhpur to run on 6 and 13 November. The stoppage for this train has also been scheduled at Ghaziabad, Hapur, Moradabad, Bareilly, Shahjahanpur, Hardoi, Lucknow, Gonda, and Basti.

Apart from this, a reserved festival special train 04058/04057 between Anand Vihar Terminal and Chhapra is being run on scheduled dates between 3 and 17 November. Special trains have also been arranged on several other routes including New Delhi to Howrah, Delhi to Darbhanga, and Anand Vihar to Muzaffarpur.

In Mumbai too, Central Railway has operated special trains from LTT to various destinations. The purpose of these additional services is to reduce the increasing pressure on regular trains and provide more options for passengers to reach home. However, despite the running of special trains, passengers must check seat availability and train timings before their journey.

Festival impact on Delhi-NCR roads as well, traffic jams in many places

Along with railway stations, the impact of Diwali shopping and festival travel is also visible on the roads of Delhi-NCR. Long queues of vehicles are forming in many major markets and roads of Delhi. There are reports of slow traffic on routes like Dhaula Kuan, Vikas Marg, Ring Road, and Outer Ring Road.

Vehicle pressure has also increased around markets like Chandni Chowk, South Extension, and Lajpat Nagar due to people stepping out for shopping. Passengers traveling between Delhi and Noida are also taking longer than usual.

Traffic remained slow on Teen Murti Marg and Kushak Road in Central Delhi as well. Meanwhile, long queues of vehicles were also seen on routes leading towards Dhaula Kuan. Special arrangements are being made by the police to manage traffic around markets and transport hubs during the festival.

Important advice for passengers

In view of the crowds at railway stations during the festivals, passengers should take some precautions. Do not push to board the train and follow the instructions of railway staff on the platform. Before traveling without a ticket or only on the basis of a waiting ticket, make sure to get information about the applicable rules. Confirm the train status, platform, and time through official railway channels.

Amid the haste to reach home for Diwali and Chhath, the safety of passengers is most important. The challenge before the railway and road administration is to handle this heavy movement of festivals in a safe and organized manner.