More than 2.44 lakh passengers travelled from Ahmedabad, Udhna and Vadodara to Uttar Pradesh and Bihar on 104 special trains between 1 and 6 November, as Diwali and Chhath Puja triggered a rush to native places. Western Railway released the figures on 7 November.
Ahmedabad recorded the highest passenger movement, with 1,31,827 people travelling on 56 special trains. Udhna station in Surat handled 1,05,713 passengers across 43 trains, while 7,427 passengers travelled from Vadodara on five special trains.
The number could reach nearly five lakh when passengers travelling on regular trains are also included, according to the railway data. The rush was driven by people travelling home for the festivals.
Bihar sees more than double the rush
Bihar-bound trains recorded the highest demand during the six-day period. Western Railway operated 67 special trains for Bihar, carrying 1,69,905 passengers. In comparison, 37 special trains ran to Uttar Pradesh, carrying 75,062 passengers.
The figures show that more than twice as many passengers travelled to Bihar as to Uttar Pradesh during the festive period. The rush was particularly high as people travelled home for Diwali and Chhath Puja.
6 November records the highest deployment
6 November saw the highest deployment of special trains during the six-day period, with 19 trains carrying 51,667 passengers to Uttar Pradesh and Bihar. Ahmedabad accounted for 12 trains and 30,767 passengers, while seven trains from Udhna carried 20,900 passengers. No special train operated from Vadodara that day.
Between 1 and 6 November, a total of 104 special trains carried 2,44,967 passengers from the three stations.
Holding areas and Train on Demand
To manage the crowds at stations, Western Railway arranged special holding areas at Ahmedabad and Udhna. Passengers wait in these designated areas until their trains arrive. Once a train reaches the platform, Railway Protection Force personnel help passengers board coaches in an orderly manner.
Western Railway is also operating additional trains under its Train on Demand initiative. When a train on a particular route becomes fully booked, another train is deployed on the same route to accommodate more passengers.
Festive travel peaks before Chhath
The arrangement aims to prevent overcrowding and ensure that passengers board trains safely. The special trains were added to the regular services to handle the festival surge from Gujarat to the eastern states.
With Diwali over and Chhath Puja under way, the return flow of passengers is expected to build in the coming days, and the railways are expected to keep the special services running to manage the crowds.
