As millions of travelers prepare for the Chhath festival, Indian Railways deployed 31 special trains from Delhi toward eastern regions on Wednesday to manage peak holiday congestion.
Passenger volumes at Delhi transport hubs increased after Diwali and Bhai Dooj.
Northern Railway operated an average of 30 daily services from various Delhi terminals to accommodate crowds heading toward Bihar and eastern Uttar Pradesh, as reported by Hindustan. On Tuesday, railway administration dispatched 27 scheduled special services alongside four unreserved festival trains deployed on short notice.
Operations spanned multiple hubs across the capital region. ETV Bharat noted that Anand Vihar Terminal handled eight departures, New Delhi managed six, Shakurbasti ran three, Hazrat Nizamuddin operated three, Delhi Junction dispatched two, and Rohtak scheduled one.
Overall, the national carrier scheduled 18,000 special train services across the country for the current festive season, marking an increase from the 12,000 operated the previous year, according to AajTak.
To maintain order during peak movement, railway authorities restricted access across six key locations. Platform ticket sales were suspended from November 3 through November 14, 2026, at New Delhi, Delhi Junction, Hazrat Nizamuddin, Ghaziabad, Anand Vihar Terminal, and Anand Vihar Halt, as detailed by Surya Samachar. Exemptions applied to family members assisting elderly, sick, or disabled passengers.
Authorities also restricted parcel bookings and cargo loading at New Delhi, Anand Vihar Terminal, Delhi Junction, and Hazrat Nizamuddin. At New Delhi Railway Station, officials established permanent one-way movement rules, assigning specific entry gates for reserved and unreserved ticket holders to eliminate platform congestion, as explained by Zee Business.
Rail officials monitored terminal traffic through a centralized war room. Ashwini Vaishnaw inspected operations on-site, noting that technological oversight helped manage movement across major interchanges. Prabhasakshi reported that live dashboards tracked crowd density across 28 key stations nationwide.
During a review of passenger facilities, Ashwini Vaishnaw inspected security deployments and passenger holding areas at New Delhi Railway Station, as covered by DD News. To reinforce surveillance, 700 artificial intelligence cameras were installed across station grounds.
Railway Protection Force deployment increased with the addition of 1,300 auxiliary personnel, bringing total RPF presence in the Delhi area to 2,040 officers, according to Khabargaon. Staff members from commercial and other departments were assigned to guide travelers through barricaded corridors leading directly to general and reserved coaches.
Despite expanded rail services, long-distance trains running toward Bihar and eastern Uttar Pradesh experienced severe waitlists. Amar Ujala reported that key services including the Bihar Sampark Kranti, Farakka Express, and Kaifiyat Express recorded waiting lists exceeding 300 to 450 passengers, leaving many travelers reliant on unreserved general compartments.
Travel agencies capitalized on the high demand by raising fares on private bus routes connecting northern cities to the capital, compounding financial pressures for travelers returning home for the holiday.
