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Drawing from its experience of handling massive crowds at the Mahakumbh, the North Eastern Railway has put in place passenger flow strategies to manage the Diwali-Chhath period rush when over one crore passengers traverse through the Lucknow Division alone. The Lucknow Division of the North Eastern Railway, which extends from Lucknow to Gorakhpur, is among the busiest sections of Indian Railways during the Diwali-Chhath period, serving as a vital link for people travelling to and from Purvanchal (eastern UP), Bihar, West Bengal and the North-East. Anticipating the passenger surge, special crowd management arrangements were put in place across major stations, particularly Gorakhpur, which serves as a key hub for trains from eastern Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, Divisional Railway Manager (DRM) Lucknow Division, Gaurav Agarwal told PTI. Agarwal estimated that nearly one to two crore passengers would travel through the Lucknow Division between October 15 and November 5, the designated festive operation window, creating an extraordinary demand on the system."Based on the lessons from Mahakumbh, we realised that holding areas for passengers must be comfortable, self-contained, and easily accessible," Agarwal said.Live EventsGorakhpur was designated as a major holding zone during this period, where services and facilities were stepped up for passengers, he said."At Gorakhpur, we have created five such holding areas that can accommodate around 5,000 at a time. These zones are equipped with carpets, bedding, drinking water, fans, toilets, and even free snacks to ensure passengers can wait safely and comfortably before boarding," the DRM told PTI.Around 30 to 45 additional trains are being operated daily across the division to meet the surge, he said.He added that digital display boards are installed inside these holding zones to update passengers about train schedules in real time, and mobile ticketing counters were set up to prevent unnecessary crowding at ticket windows and platforms.The senior officer said another key lesson from the Mahakumbh was to regulate passenger flow through better platform allocation."Trains originating or terminating at our stations are now mostly placed at end platforms to reduce the need for passengers to cross foot overbridges, which are otherwise bottleneck points during rush hours," he explained.To prioritise passenger convenience, the division has also temporarily reduced freight traffic."Only essential commodities and perishable goods are being cleared during this period so that passenger trains can move without delays," he said.He said nearly 15,000 railway personnel across the division were engaged in managing operations, passenger assistance, and crowd regulation."This is one of the largest coordinated efforts of the year for us, and the results so far have been very satisfactory," he noted.Asked about a lot of people having waitlisted or unconfirmed tickets during the festive period and overcrowded general compartments, Agarwal reasoned that the continued reliance on train travel despite the availability of other modes reflects the public's faith in railways."Even when air and road fares rise sharply during the festive season, passengers find trains more affordable, reliable, and comfortable," he said.The Mahakumbh, held from 13 January to 26 February this year, is a sacred pilgrimage that is held four times over a course of 12 years, rotating between Haridwar, Ujjain, Nashik, and Prayagraj. More than 66 crore devotees reached Prayagraj by the concluding day. Add as a Reliable and Trusted News Source Add Now! (You can now subscribe to our Economic Times WhatsApp channel) Read More News onDiwali train rushChhath Puja travelpassenger flow strategiesNorth Eastern Railway crowd managementtrain travel in IndiaGorakhpur railway station servicesLucknow Division railwayMahakumbh lessonsspecial trains DiwaliNorth Eastern Railway (Catch all the Business News, Breaking News and Latest News Updates on The Economic Times.) Subscribe to The Economic Times Prime and read the ET ePaper online....moreless (You can now subscribe to our Economic Times WhatsApp channel)Read More News onDiwali train rushChhath Puja travelpassenger flow strategiesNorth Eastern Railway crowd managementtrain travel in IndiaGorakhpur railway station servicesLucknow Division railwayMahakumbh lessonsspecial trains DiwaliNorth Eastern Railway(Catch all the Business News, Breaking News and Latest News Updates on The Economic Times.) Subscribe to The Economic Times Prime and read the ET ePaper online....moreless
