Mumbai, March 22: In an effort to accommodate the surge in passenger demand during the ongoing summer vacation season, Western Railway has introduced several special trains to various destinations from different stations under its jurisdiction. These trains are being operated in addition to the regular services.
According to a press release issued by Vineet Abhishek, Chief Public Relations Officer of Western Railway, a total of 29 pairs of summer special trains are being operated with 930 trips scheduled so far. Out of these, 16 pairs comprising 376 trips are running towards northern destinations including Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Delhi, and Rajasthan. Additionally, 7 pairs covering 140 trips are designated for eastern states such as Bihar, Odisha, and West Bengal.
To cater to southern regions, two pairs of special trains are being run with 106 trips connecting passengers to Telangana and Karnataka. For the convenience of passengers from Udhna, located in the Surat region, six pairs of originating special trains are being operated with 192 trips. Moreover, 14 other pairs accounting for 348 trips are running via Udhna or Bhestan.
Western Railway has also ensured connectivity from other major stations in Gujarat such as Ahmedabad, Gandhidham, Vadodara, Valsad, Rajkot, and Bhavnagar Terminus, with 16 pairs of special trains scheduled to run from these locations.
As per agency report, to accommodate the increasing passenger load, particularly migrant workers returning to their hometowns, around 300 additional general second-class coaches have been added to these special trains. These additional facilities are aimed at ensuring that passengers are able to travel conveniently during the summer rush.
From Mumbai alone, 12 pairs of special trains are operating with a total of 148 trips scheduled to various parts of the country. Real-time monitoring of waitlists is being conducted daily to assess demand and manage passenger load. Based on this, extra coaches are being added to existing trains where necessary. Western Railway also plans to introduce more special trains in the coming days to further alleviate travel congestion.
