New Delhi [India], October 21 (ANI): Union Minister for Railways, Information & Broadcasting, and Electronics & Information Technology, Ashwini Vaishnaw, visited the War Room at the Railway Board and took stock of passenger movement during the festive season. He appreciated the staff for working round the clock and extended his best wishes to them during Diwali, a release said.

According to the release, Indian Railways (IR) has made extensive arrangements to cater to the passenger demand surge during the festive season. To ensure smooth travel during Puja, Diwali, and Chhath, IR is operating 12,011 special trains, a significant increase from 7,724 trains operated during the same period last year.

Indian Railways is operating at full strength to ensure passengers' smooth and comfortable travel during the festive rush. In addition to regular train services, IR successfully operated 3,960 special trains between 1 October and 19 October 2025 to meet the increased travel demand during the festive period.

To cater to the expected surge in passenger traffic for Diwali and Chhath, Indian Railways plans to operate around 8,000 more special trains in the coming days.

These special trains are being run across all zones of Indian Railways, with Northern Railway (1919 trains), Central Railway (1998 trains), and Western Railway (1501 trains) operating the highest numbers. Other zones, including East Central Railway (1217) and North Western Railway (1217), have also deployed additional services to meet regional travel requirements, a release stated.

Between 1st October and 19th October 2025, more than one crore passengers have already been facilitated by these special services. The management of passenger movement has been streamlined across stations, with the provision of dedicated holding areas, additional ticket counters, potable water facilities, and clean washrooms to ensure a comfortable travel experience.

In the New Delhi area -- encompassing New Delhi, Delhi, Anand Vihar, Hazrat Nizamuddin, and Shakur Basti stations -- a total of 15.17 lakh passengers travelled during 16th to 19th October 2025, as compared to 13.66 lakh passengers during the corresponding period last year, marking an increase of 1.51 lakh passengers.

Earlier, the Union Minister also visited New Delhi and Anand Vihar Railway stations and interacted with passengers to get feedback on arrangements made by Indian Railways for them. Special Arrangements include holding areas, a greater number of ticket counters, potable drinking arrangements, display of train timings, and other comforts for the smooth travel of passengers, a release said.

Indian Railways remains committed to providing safe, comfortable, and hassle-free travel for all passengers during the festive rush. More than 12 lakh Railway employees work tirelessly round the clock to ensure efficient operations and a pleasant journey experience for every traveller. (ANI)