East Central Railway’s Chhath Initiatives: 5 Times More Trains, 8 Lakh Additional Berths

HAJIPUR – Anil Kumar Khandelwal, General Manager of East Central Railway, addressed the journalists at the East Central Railway Headquarters in Hajipur today. During the press conference, the General Manager provided detailed information about the various steps taken by East Central Railway to enhance passenger convenience during the Chhath festival.

He mentioned that this year, five times more trains were operated post-Chhath compared to the previous year, facilitating passengers returning to various parts of the country. This initiative resulted in an additional availability of about 8 lakh berths. Tents were set up at 50 major stations of East Central Railway, equipped with facilities such as drinking water, public food packets, train announcements, medical booths, and more. Approximately 50 thousand free food packets were distributed at stations and in general coaches of trains.

To manage crowd control at stations, a dedicated war room was established for 24×7 monitoring, supported by drone cameras. Additional contingents of the Railway Protection Force were deployed, and staff from the Commerce Department assisted in organizing passenger queues for entry into ordinary class coaches.

Highlighting the economic significance of Indian Railways, the General Manager mentioned the increased allocation for infrastructure and passenger facilities, reaching Rs 2.4 lakh crore this year. He emphasized the ongoing redevelopment of stations under the Amrit Bharat Station Scheme, with 78 out of 92 stations on East Central Railway already in progress.

In terms of revenue, East Central Railway achieved the first position among all zonal railways of Indian Railways in the current financial year, a significant milestone. Additionally, three stations – Hajipur, Bapudham Motihari, Dhanbad – received gold ratings from the Indian Green Building Council, and Rajendranagar and Pt. Deendayal Upadhyay Jn. were awarded Silver ratings.

To further enhance passenger services and create a better work environment for employees, the General Manager will interact with both railway employees and the general public every Tuesday of the week.