Siwan / Patna : A significant surge in passenger numbers has been recorded at Siwan Junction and other major railway stations as migrant workers return to their workplaces following the Holi celebrations. According to railway authorities, the number of passengers has increased by around 25% compared to normal days, leading to overcrowding on several routes.
Regular, special, and clone trains operating in the region have been packed beyond capacity, with passengers struggling to secure space in the bogies. The overcrowding was particularly severe on Tuesday, with trains running on key routes witnessing heavy congestion.
Among the most crowded were train number 12553 Vaishali Superfast from Saharsa to New Delhi, 12565 Bihar Sampark Kranti from Darbhanga to New Delhi, 15048 Purvanchal Express from Gorakhpur to Kolkata, and 11060 Godaan Express from Chhapra Junction to Mumbai Lokmanya Terminal. The Vaishali Superfast, for instance, arrived at platform number three of Siwan Junction at 2.39 pm on Tuesday, with its sleeper and other compartments already filled to capacity. Passengers scrambled to find space as the train halted briefly for 8–9 minutes before continuing its journey.
Holi Special Trains Delayed, Adding to Passengers’ Woes
To manage the post-Holi rush, the Railways has introduced Holi Special trains. However, many of these services have been running several hours behind schedule, compounding the inconvenience for passengers. On Tuesday, train number 04601 Amritsar Special Fare Holi Special from Saharsa to Amritsar was delayed by four hours, while train number 04301 Yoga Nagari Rishikesh Special from Muzaffarpur Junction to Rishikesh was running 6 hours and 47 minutes late. Similarly, train number 04010 Jogbani Holi Special from Anand Vihar Terminal to Jogbani was delayed by around four hours.
Railway Authorities on High Alert
With the rising influx of passengers, railway authorities have ramped up crowd control measures. Additional security personnel have been deployed at stations, while crowd management efforts are being reinforced through frequent announcements and coach displays to inform passengers of train statuses.
