UditVani, Kolkata / Jamshedpur : South Eastern Railway (SER) has undertaken extensive preparations to manage the surge in passenger traffic during the ongoing festive season.
Addressing a media briefing at SER Headquarters, Garden Reach, on Tuesday, General Manager Anil Kumar Mishra outlined a comprehensive action plan aimed at ensuring smooth and safe travel for passengers during festivals.
Accompanied by Additional General Manager Soumitra Majumdar and senior departmental heads, Mishra emphasized that the railway administration is fully geared to handle the unprecedented rush.
He informed that Indian Railways has introduced more than 12,000 special trains across the country this year—up from 7,724 last year—to meet festival travel demand.
Within this framework, South Eastern Railway has already operated 922 special trains till October 20, compared to 832 during the same period last year.
To streamline passenger movement, temporary holding areas have been set up at major stations for crowd regulation during boarding and de-boarding.
Moreover, several stations have been earmarked for permanent holding zones to be established from next year onward.
A robust surveillance and response system has been put in place, with war rooms functioning round-the-clock at SER Headquarters and all four divisional offices.
These control rooms are equipped with live CCTV monitoring for real-time tracking and swift resolution of passenger complaints and operational issues.
Currently, SER is operating six regular special trains and eleven additional festival specials, while sixteen trains run by other zonal railways are traversing through SER’s jurisdiction to augment capacity.
Daily footfall is being closely monitored at key stations. Ranchi has seen a rise in daily passengers—from 53,000 to 58,000—while Tatanagar and Shalimar stations continue to record steady numbers compared to last year.
Highlighting resource optimization, the GM noted that 20 additional rakes have been formed by mobilizing spare coaches.
Of these, 11 are being utilized by SER, while 9 have been deployed by the Railway Board to operate special services from other regions.
To ensure safety and order, all trains are being escorted by RPF and commercial staff, who are tasked with preventing unauthorized entry into reserved coaches and guiding passengers onboard.
Mishra reaffirmed SER’s commitment to providing a seamless and secure travel experience during the festive rush, underscoring that passenger comfort and safety remain the railway’s top priority.
