Ashwini Vaishnaw highlights 18,000 special trains for festive season, redevelopment of 1,300 railway stations

Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw highlighted the operation of around 18,000 special trains during this year's festive season, up from 12,000 last year, and the redevelopment of 1,300 railway stations, with around 400 completed. He also outlined passenger facilities at crowded stations and offered prayers at Jaipur's Govind Dev Ji Temple.

Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw on Thursday said around 18,000 special trains are being operated during the festive season this year, compared to approximately 12,000 trains last year, while highlighting the ongoing redevelopment of 1,300 railway stations across the country with a focus on future passenger requirements, local architectural styles and safety. Speaking with the media, Vaishnaw said the special train services and passenger facilities at major stations had been expanded to manage the heavy rush during the festive period, which includes Durga Puja, Diwali and Chhath.

"Extensive arrangements have been made for the festive season. During last year’s festive period, encompassing the major festivals of Durga Puja, Diwali, and Chhath, approximately 12,000 special trains were operated. This year, by combining those from last year with the newly added special trains, we are running around 18,000 special trains. At highly congested stations, such as Udhna in Surat, New Delhi, and the Anand Vihar Terminal, large holding areas have been established. For instance, at the New Delhi and Udhna stations, each of these holding areas can accommodate around 20,000 people at any given time. Numerous high-quality toilets have been constructed, and excellent air circulation systems have been installed. Ticketing counters have been relocated into these holding areas, ensuring that passengers can access ticketing services easily without having to navigate through heavy crowds," he told the reporters. He added that the holding areas had been equipped with toilets and air circulation systems, while ticket counters had been shifted there to enable passengers to access ticketing facilities without having to move through heavy crowds.

"There is still much work to be done; we strive for continuous improvement every year, aiming to provide better service than the previous year, though the demand remains extremely high. Nevertheless, we have reached a certain standard, and we intend to improve even further in the coming years." Vaishnaw said. On railway station redevelopment, Vaishnaw said the projects were being planned keeping in view passenger requirements over the next five decades, with particular attention to increasing station capacity.

"(Railway) Stations are being redeveloped, designed to meet the requirements of the next 50 years. Special emphasis is being placed on increasing station capacity... Today, taking into account our current population, the number of passengers, and future requirements, all these stations are being redeveloped. This redevelopment incorporates local architectural styles; for instance, stations in Jaipur reflect Jaipur’s unique architecture, while those in Jodhpur, Ahmedabad, Tamil Nadu, or Kerala are designed according to the local architectural traditions of their respective regions," he added. Vaishnaw also stressed that station redevelopment was being undertaken without halting train operations, given the importance of the railway network as a mode of transport in the country.

"Work has been undertaken on 1,300 stations across the country, with about 400 already completed. This process requires great care; in many other countries, stations are redeveloped by completely halting rail traffic for 5-6 years. In our country, however, the railway is such a vital mode of transport that we cannot simply shut down these stations. Therefore, the redevelopment is being carried out without disrupting rail traffic and with a strict focus on safety," he said. Earlier in the day, the Union Minister offered prayers at the Govind Dev Ji Temple in Jaipur and said he had the opportunity to seek blessings at the temple and pay his respects to Mahant Swami Ji. (ANI)