IANS | 19 Apr, 2024
Indian Railways will operate a record-breaking 9,111 trips across the
country to cater to the anticipated surge in travel during the summer
season, the Ministry of Railways said on Friday.
This translates to an increase of 2,742 trips over the 6,369
trips offered during the summer of 2023. The additional trains have been
planned to connect key destinations across the country, ensuring
seamless travel on major railway routes, the ministry said.
All
zonal railways spread across India have geared up to operate these
additional trips, catering to the summer travel rush from states like
Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Odisha, West Bengal, Bihar, Uttar
Pradesh, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Jharkhand, Madhya
Pradesh, Rajasthan and Delhi.
Planning and running of additional
trains is a continuous process for which inputs are taken from all the
communication channels like media reports, social media platforms, and
the Railway Integrated helpline number 139, apart from details of
waitlist passengers in the PRS system, to assess the demand of trains on
a particular route. Based on this requirement, the number of trains and
number of trips are augmented, according to the official statement.
During
the summer season, Zonal Railways have also been instructed to ensure
the availability of drinking water at railway stations. Elaborate crowd
control arrangements are made at all major and important railway
stations. Senior officers are stationed at these stations to monitor all
the activities to regulate the crowd in a systematic manner, the
statement added.
RPF personnel have been deputed at originating
stations to ensure a queue system for entry in General Class coaches.
RPF staff are also deployed in the CCTV Control Room to keep a close
watch on the crowded areas and render real-time assistance to
passengers.
Passengers can book their tickets in these additional trains through Railway Ticket counters or the IRCTC website/app.