Ranchi Railway Division Proposes Special Trains for Festive Rush

The Ranchi Railway Division has officially proposed the operation of 12 special trains to the South Eastern Railway headquarters to tackle heavy passenger demand and long waiting lists during the upcoming festive season. This proactive step aims to alleviate severe congestion for travelers heading home for Dussehra, Diwali, and Chhath Puja, as major routes are currently facing heavy waiting lists and regret status across reservation counters and the IRCTC portal. Ranchi DRM Karunanidhi Singh confirmed that the railway remains fully committed to operating maximum services to ensure seamless passenger convenience during the festivities. The proposed special train routes include direct connections from Ranchi to Jaynagar, New Delhi, Ajmer, Mumbai, Ara, Banaras, and Kolkata. Furthermore, specific services like the Ranchi-Ajmer-Ranchi Puja Special (09619/09620) are scheduled to run from October 2 to November 27 from Ajmer and from October 4 to November 29 from Ranchi. In addition to these new proposals, the South Eastern Railway has also extended the services of six existing special trains until December 2026, which will greatly benefit passengers across Ranchi, Kharagpur, and Chakradharpur.

National Level Arrangements

On a broader national scale, Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw recently announced that 12,000 special trains will operate across the country between October 1 and November 15. Out of these, approximately 200 trains will specifically cater to the Jharkhand, Bihar, and West Bengal regions, with operations starting in mid-October.

Crowd Control and Station Safety Measures

To effectively manage massive station crowds, the Ministry of Railways has introduced a comprehensive action plan targeting 70 busy railway stations. Key safety and crowd management protocols include the creation of temporary passenger holding areas, dedicated entry and exit points for reserved and unreserved passengers, real-time crowd monitoring via CCTV cameras, and the establishment of dedicated war rooms and mini control rooms. Additionally, security is being significantly reinforced with increased deployment of RPF and GRP personnel, while zonal railways have been officially authorized to temporarily suspend platform ticket sales during periods of extreme congestion.