Patna: After Chhath, there was an unprecedented rush of passengers at Patna Junction and other major railway stations under the East Central Railway (ECR) in Bihar. Devotees and migrant workers began returning to their destinations following the four-day Chhath festival, which concluded on Friday.
With trains at full capacity and stations packed with passengers, the railways increased safety and crowd management measures to ensure smooth travel during this peak period. On Friday alone, 89 special passenger trains were put into operation from various ECR locations.
Patna Junction, one of the busiest railway stations in the region, saw a surge in crowd density across its platforms. Trains bound for major cities in Maharashtra, Gujarat, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Jharkhand and West Bengal were especially crowded as thousands of people headed back after the festival.
"Chhath is a major event and the railways anticipated heavy footfalls across all stations in the Danapur division. Our primary focus is to ensure passengers' safety, timely travel and minimal congestion during rush hours," said Danapur divisional railway manager (DRM) Jayant Kumar Choudhary. "The railways has deployed extra personnel for crowd control and emergency response," he added.
To manage overcrowding, several safety measures were implemented, including special teams of Railway Protection Force (RPF) and Government Railway Police (GRP) patrolling stations and trains. "The railways has set up barricades at key points to ensure orderly boarding and prevent a stampede-like situation," Choudhary added.
"Given the scale of the rush, additional security personnel, including plainclothes officers, have been deployed to prevent any untoward incident. Emergency medical teams are also on standby at major stations," Choudhary said, adding that temporary waiting areas and digital boards providing real-time updates on train schedules and platform numbers were also introduced to ease the travel experience.
Danapur additional divisional railway manager (ADRM) Aadhar Raj said post-Chhath preparations included equipping stations with potable water kiosks, medical assistance booths and enhanced sanitation facilities. "Arrangements for the safety of elderly and differently-abled passengers have been upgraded with provisions for wheelchairs and dedicated assistance teams," Raj said.