Patna : Indian Railways is planning to send mobile alerts to passengers travelling to Bihar for Chhath with information about special trains and available seats ahead of the festive rush. The initiative is intended to help passengers find suitable trains and book tickets in time for Diwali and Chhath.
With regular trains filling up quickly during the festive season and airfares rising, special trains are an important travel option for people returning to Bihar from cities such as Delhi, Mumbai and Surat.
Railways Collects Mobile Numbers Of 4 Lakh Passengers
According to the plan, the Railways has collected mobile numbers of around 4 lakh passengers who travelled towards Bihar over the past two years. The list also includes passengers who could not secure confirmed tickets or had to travel with waitlisted tickets.
When seats become available on special trains, the Railways plans to send bulk messages to these mobile numbers, informing passengers about the services and helping them make bookings.
More than 5 lakh passengers travel to and from Bihar during the Chhath season every year, making additional train services important during the festive period.
More Special Trains Planned For Festive Travel
Last year, more than 12,000 special train trips were operated across the country. Of these, over 7,000 trips were operated by East Central Railway (ECR), which arranged more than 1 crore additional seats to accommodate the festive rush.
For this year, ECR has announced around 1,000 special train trips so far, with services scheduled to operate from mid-October to the end of November. More special trains may be announced as preparations progress.
At the national level, the Railways is expected to operate more than 13,000 special train trips this year. The department is also considering the deployment of 150 additional AC coaches to increase capacity.
More Train Updates Expected Soon
East Central Railway Chief Public Relations Officer Saraswati Chandra said preparations for the festive rush had begun and several special trains had already been announced.
She indicated that information about additional services on routes where trains have not yet been announced would be shared soon. The proposed mobile alert system is expected to help passengers receive updates about special trains and seat availability directly on their phones.
The initiative comes as the Railways prepares for increased demand during Diwali and Chhath, when large numbers of passengers travel to Bihar to celebrate the festivals with their families.
