Indian Railways has unveiled a comprehensive operational plan to manage the massive influx of pilgrims during the annual Shravani Mela, set to take place from July 30 to August 29, 2026. In a joint effort by the Eastern Railway, East Central Railway (ECR), and South Eastern Railway (SER), the initiative aims to facilitate seamless travel for millions of devotees heading to Baba Baidyanath Dham and Sultanganj. Key highlights of the preparations include:
- Extended halts for mail, express, and passenger trains at Jasidih and Sultanganj stations.
- Introduction of 26 pairs of special trains by Eastern Railway and 12 pairs by ECR.
- Deployment of AI-based crowd management systems and 24/7 NDRF teams for passenger safety.
- Augmentation of additional general second-class coaches on popular trains like Mithila and Gangasagar Express.
Enhanced Stoppages and Train Services
To ensure devotees can board and deboard comfortably, the railways will extend the stoppage time for various trains. From July 30 to August 29, 2026, any mail, express, or passenger train with a scheduled halt of less than five minutes at Jasidih station will have its stop extended to a maximum of five minutes. Please note that eleven premium trains, including Vande Bharat, Rajdhani, and Duronto Express, are excluded from this and will run on their regular schedule. Similarly, selected trains at Sultanganj station will receive extended five-minute halts, with six weekly express trains—such as the Bhagalpur-Ajmer and Malda Town-Anand Vihar Terminal Express—receiving a new temporary two-minute stop.
Special Train Fleet and Infrastructure
The ECR has scheduled several special services starting from late July, including daily runs for the Asansol-Gorakhpur (03527/03528) and Asansol-Patna (03511/03512) routes, alongside tri-weekly services between Raxaul and Deoghar (05545/05546). To further ease congestion, Eastern Railway is permanently attaching extra general coaches to 12 popular trains. Additionally, the South Eastern Railway has planned temporary halts for 22 pairs of trains at Mahadevshal Railway Station to support pilgrims visiting Baba Mahadevshal Dham.
Safety and Crowd Control
Safety remains the top priority for the 2026 Mela. The zones have integrated high-resolution CCTV cameras and AI-based analysis tools to monitor platform density in real-time. With the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) stationed at critical points 24/7, railway authorities are fully prepared to handle the peak rush while maintaining operational efficiency across the Jasidih rail section.