Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw announced on Friday that additional coaches and special trains would be deployed across the country during the festive season, specifically for Chhath Puja and Diwali. This decision is aimed at making travel easier for the large number of passengers who journey home during the festivals.
Vaishnaw stated that 12,500 coaches have been sanctioned for the festive season. He emphasised that general coaches have been increased in 108 trains, and these provisions would benefit over 1 crore passengers during the Puja rush.
He also mentioned that for the year 2024-25, a total of 5,975 trains have been notified so far, a significant increase compared to the previous year's 4,429 special trains that operated during the festive period. This move is expected to help manage the heavy passenger traffic and ensure a more comfortable journey for travellers during the busy festive season.
Earlier in September, the Railway Minister was involved in overseeing the implementation of Kavach 4.0, a significant upgrade in India’s railway safety infrastructure.
During his visit to Rajasthan, Vaishnaw inspected the Kavach 4.0 system at Sawai Madhopur. He highlighted that this is the first time Kavach 4.0 has been deployed in India and that it represents a major step forward in enhancing railway safety.
The minister added that in the coming years, 10,000 locomotives will be equipped with the Kavach system, and 9,000 kilometres of additional railway lines will be covered by this technology.
Kavach is an Automatic Train Protection (ATP) system that has been indigenously developed to enhance the safety of Indian railways. The system is designed to automatically apply the brakes if the loco pilot does not respond in time, thus preventing accidents, especially during challenging weather conditions.
Vaishnaw stressed the importance of the Kavach system in ensuring safer railway operations and highlighted its role in modernising India’s railways with advanced safety features. He added that Kavach would help trains maintain safe speeds while providing a high level of protection to passengers.
Besides his work on Kavach, the Railway Minister also inaugurated the Bharat Gaurav Train for the Bharat-Nepal Yatra earlier in September. This train, departing from Hazrat Nizamuddin Railway Station in Delhi, aims to enhance cultural tourism between India and Nepal.
The service offers tourists a unique opportunity to experience the rich cultural heritage shared by both nations. Vaishnaw expressed his optimism that this new initiative would strengthen cultural ties and promote tourism between the two neighbouring countries.
The Bharat Gaurav Train will take passengers on a spiritual and cultural journey, visiting several important destinations in India and Nepal, allowing travellers to experience the deep cultural and historical connections between the two nations.
With these developments, the Indian Railways is taking major steps to improve services for passengers during the festive season, as well as modernising its infrastructure to ensure safer and more efficient operations.
The festive season, which typically sees a surge in passenger traffic, will now be easier for travellers with the deployment of additional trains and coaches, as well as safety enhancements through the Kavach system.
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