Indian Railways has introduced several measures to help passengers deal with the extreme heat and heavy rush during summer vacations. Rail Minister Ashwini Vaishnav reviewed the plans to ensure a comfortable journey for middle-class and poor passengers. These steps include running a massive number of special trains and providing essential amenities at stations.
What are the new Summer Special Train arrangements?
The Indian Railways announced a total of 18,262 trips for summer special trains between April 15 and July 15, 2026. More than 900 special trains are currently operational across the country. On April 24, 2026, an additional 14 trains were announced for routes like Udhna-Samastipur and Sabarmati-Asansol. Specifically, over 70 special trains are running from Pandit Deendayal Upadhyaya (DDU) Junction to cities like Delhi, Mumbai, and Bengaluru.
What facilities are provided for passengers in heat?
To tackle the heatwave, the Pandit Deendayal Upadhyaya rail division has set up water booths where Scout Guide students serve water to passengers. In crowded coaches where people cannot get off, the railway staff is distributing free water bottles. In Vande Bharat trains, 500ml Rail Neer bottles are provided for free to reduce waste, with an extra bottle available on request. Additionally, ORS and essential medicines are available at major stations under the East Central Railway zone.
How is crowd and safety being managed?
A 24/7 war room has been established to monitor CCTV footage of stations like DDU, Gaya, and Sasaram. Western Railway has started a real-time crowd management system at Udhna station in Surat. RPF personnel are assisting passengers during boarding and controlling platform crowds. For specially-abled passengers with a valid UDID card, travel is permitted in unreserved disabled coaches of Mail and Express trains.