Officials on toes to manage festive rush at Ludhiana railway station
During the festival season a problem that passengers confront is the rush due to which many people with reservations fail to get seats.
As Diwali and Chhath Pooja draw closer migrant workers from the city are turning towards their native places in Uttar Pradesh and Bihar to celebrate the festivals with their near and dear ones. All trains to various states from the Ludhiana Junction station here are reserved to full capacity as nobody wants to miss a seat on the trains, according to station officials.
UP and Bihar bound trains are teeming with migrant workers laden with gifts making their way home.
“We work here year around. But when the festival time comes, we want to be with our families and celebrate with them,” said Rajat Yadav, who was headed to his hometown in eastern UP.
During the festival season a problem that passengers confront is the rush due to which many people with reservations fail to get seats.
“Additional Railway Protection Force (RPF) has been deployed to guide the people and ensure that passengers can comfortably get their reserved seats. We have increased strictness to ensure convenience of the passengers,” said senior divisional commercial manager Paramdeep Singh Saini.
“We are working crowds and if there is crowd RPF personnel have been directed to ensure that people que up for smooth boarding,” he added.
Additionally, the railway staff will display coach guidance fifteen minutes in advance and ensure that all boards are working on all platforms.
Besides these, the Firozepur Division has started two special trains for the upcoming festive season, which will run through the Dhandari Kalan railway station here.
Starting on October 6, train number 04075/04076 is running bi-weekly services between New Delhi and Katra every Wednesday and Sunday. This special train will halt at Sonipat, Panipat, Karnal, Kurukshetra, Ambala Cantonment, Dhandari Kalan, Jalandhar Cantonment, Pathankot Cantonment, Jammu Tawi and Shaheed Captain Tushar Mahajan Railway Stations in both directions.
Train number 04623/04624 is running weekly services on every Sunday from October 6 to November 17 between Katra and Varanasi. Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Katra-Varanasi-Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Katra Weekly Special. Enroute, this special train will halt at Shaheed Captain Tushar Mahajan, Jammu Tawi, Pathankot Cantonment, Jalandhar Cantonment, Dhandari Kalan, Ambala Cantonment, Saharanpur, Moradabad, Bareilly, Lucknow, Rae Bareli and Maa Belha Devi Dham Pratapgarh railway stations in both directions.
The division has also started another special train between Firozepur and Patna, which will go via Bathinda. Train number 04678 will run from Firozepur Cantt to Patna every Wednesday from October 9 to November 13. En route, this festival special train will stop at Kotkapura, Bathinda, Rampura Phul, Dhuri, Patiala, Rajpura, Ambala Cantt, Yamunanagar Jagadhri, Saharanpur, Moradabad, Bareilly, Lucknow, Maa Belha Devi Dham Pratapgarh, Varanasi, Pandit Deendayal Upadhyay, Buxar, Ara and Danapur railway stations in both directions.
