Indian Railways has announced a full schedule of 16 special trains to manage the surge in travel demand during the Diwali and Chhath Puja festivals, according to livemint.com. These special trains will operate on varying frequencies, including weekly, biweekly, and daily services, to ease congestion and accommodate the high passenger load expected during the festive season.
The East Central Railway division released the schedule detailing the operation of these festival special trains. The announcement follows widespread complaints on social media about difficulties in booking train tickets through the IRCTC platform, which showed a ‘high load’ status and issued a ‘regret’ message to users. The Railways’ move aims to mitigate travel chaos by increasing train availability during this peak period.
The introduction of these special trains is a response to the annual spike in passenger traffic during major Indian festivals, which often overwhelms the regular train services. Similar measures have been taken in previous years to prevent overcrowding and ensure smoother travel. The Railways’ proactive scheduling aligns with efforts to improve passenger experience and manage demand more effectively during high-traffic periods.
The East Central Railway’s announcement on September 13 includes the detailed timetable for all 16 special trains. Passengers are advised to check the official IRCTC website for the updated schedule and ticket availability to plan their journeys accordingly.