Gaya: With lakhs of pilgrims expected to arrive for the annual Pitripaksh Mela, the Gaya district administration on Saturday reviewed preparedness at Gaya railway station, where daily passenger footfall is expected to almost double during the fair.
Railway officials told the meeting that Gaya station handles around 40,000 to 50,000 passengers on a normal day, but the figure rose to 80,000 to 90,000 passengers daily during the 2025 Pitripaksh Mela. Most pilgrims travel from Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra and Haryana, with the majority of trains arriving between 9pm and 4am.
Focus On Passenger Amenities
The review meeting was attended by Bihar Assembly Speaker Prem Kumar, Gaya district magistrate Shashank Shubhankar, senior superintendent of police Sushil Kumar, railway officials and other district officers.
Prem Kumar directed railway authorities to ensure uninterrupted drinking water, clean toilets and other essential facilities for pilgrims arriving from across India and abroad. He also called for prominent display of train schedules, digital information boards and multilingual signages to help passengers navigate the station.
Crowd Management And Safety
Shashank Shubhankar instructed railway officials to maintain continuous cleaning of toilets during the mela and install additional mobile toilets wherever required. He also directed authorities to provide adequate drinking water facilities across platforms and station premises and install clear signages for toilets, water points, entry and exit gates.
In view of the ongoing redevelopment of Gaya railway station, the district magistrate asked officials to install directional signboards guiding pilgrims to Vishnupad Temple and other key destinations.
To improve passenger safety, he ordered that unused construction materials and equipment be shifted away from passenger movement areas. He also called for adequate deployment of Railway Protection Force personnel, with additional support from the district police if necessary.
Enhanced Surveillance And Medical Support
The district magistrate directed officials to inspect and repair existing CCTV cameras and install additional high-resolution cameras for crowd monitoring, with live feeds to be integrated into the district control room during the mela.
He also asked the railways to establish a dedicated 24×7 control room to provide train-related information, while the district administration will operate a separate help desk for pilgrims. Continuous public announcements, LED displays showing train movements and prominent display of emergency helpline numbers were also ordered.
Officials were further instructed to ensure adequate lighting inside and outside the station, improve parking areas and regulate traffic flow. Fixed fares for auto-rickshaws and e-rickshaws are to be displayed, with action against drivers found overcharging passengers.
Railway authorities were also directed to keep sufficient wheelchairs, ambulances and medical teams equipped with essential medicines at the station throughout the mela. Fire safety, electrical systems and plumbing infrastructure are to remain fully operational.
Railway officials informed the meeting that a round-the-clock railway control room with representatives from all departments, along with additional reservation counters and a 24×7 enquiry centre, will be operational to manage the expected surge in passenger traffic during the fair.
