In a bid to accommodate the festive rush for Diwali and Chhath Puja, the Indian Railways has announced the addition of coaches and special trains. On Friday, Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw revealed that the General coaches in 108 trains have been increased, with a total of 12,500 coaches sanctioned, aimed at facilitating over 1 crore passengers traveling home during the Puja season.
Minister Vaishnaw stated, “This festive season, we are increasing the General Coaches in 108 trains. So far, a total of 5,975 trains have been notified for the 2024-25 period. This initiative will greatly assist in managing the expected rush during the festive time.” In comparison, 4,429 special trains operated during the previous year’s festive season in 2023-24, highlighting the growing demand for rail travel during this period.
Additionally, the Central Railway has taken proactive steps by announcing one-way superfast special trains between Mumbai and Jaipur, set to operate on September 27 and 28. This move comes in response to passenger demand for convenient travel options during the festivities. The trains will make stops at key stations, including Thane, Vasai Road, Surat, Vadodara, Godhra, Ratlam, Kota, and Sawai Madhopur.
On September 24, Minister Vaishnaw also conducted an inspection of the Kavach 4.0 system in Rajasthan, stating that it has commenced operations from Sawai Madhopur. “In the coming years, we plan to cover 10,000 locomotives with Kavach,” he added. The Kavach system is designed to assist locomotive pilots by automatically applying brakes if they fail to maintain specified speed limits, thereby enhancing safety, particularly during adverse weather conditions.
As the festive season approaches, these measures by Indian Railways are expected to provide significant relief and comfort to millions of passengers traveling to celebrate with their families.
