To manage the massive passenger surge during the Chhath Puja festival, Indian Railways is employing real-time heat mapping and data analysis across its network. This technology allows for proactive monitoring of passenger movement, efficient deployment of resources, and enhanced crowd control measures at major stations.
With the Chhath Puja festival approaching, the railway authorities are leaving no stone unturned to ensure a smooth and safe travel experience for millions of passengers. A key strategy involves using real-time heat maps of 35 major stations to monitor passenger traffic. These heat maps provide an hourly analysis of traffic data, enabling predictive resource deployment to areas experiencing the highest congestion.
The railway's approach is data-driven, utilizing passenger data from the festive seasons of the past two years, including Diwali, to forecast demand and allocate resources effectively. This data is fed into a model that assesses the demand for each destination, ensuring that an adequate number of special trains are deployed. Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw emphasized the importance of this data-driven approach, stating that it allows for precise monitoring at the divisional, zonal, and Railway Board levels.
To cater to the Chhath rush, Indian Railways is set to operate approximately 13,000 special train services, nearly double the number from the previous year. These special trains are expected to ferry over 2.5 crore passengers, a figure comparable to the population of Australia. These trains will serve several important cities such as Patna, Lucknow, Darbhanga, Manasi, Dhanbad, Bhagalpur, Sitamarhi, Howrah, Patliputra, Hasanpur Road, Danapur, Gaya, and Prayagraj. In the past few days, nearly 1 crore passengers have already benefited from the special trains. Around 15 lakh people have traveled from New Delhi stations in the last four days.
In addition to running special trains, the Railways is also focusing on infrastructure improvements and efficient traffic management. Permanent holding areas are being established at 76 stations to manage crowd flow, with the goal of having these areas ready by the next festival season. Moreover, freight services on certain routes have been minimized, and Dedicated Freight Corridors (DFCs) are being utilized to ease congestion, particularly around the busy Deen Dayal Upadhyay Junction. After special trains ferry passengers to Bihar, their return journeys are being undertaken on the dedicated freight corridors.
The effectiveness of the real-time monitoring system was demonstrated recently when a sudden surge of passengers occurred at Udhna station in Gujarat. The heat map immediately alerted authorities, who promptly organized passengers into queues and deployed a standby unreserved train to clear the buildup. Similarly, a similar situation at Ambala in Haryana was handled efficiently using the same approach.
Passengers have been advised to verify train timings, routes, and stoppages before starting their journey. Real-time updates can be accessed through the Rail Madad helpline at 139 or the official railway enquiry website. The railway aims to make festive travel safe, convenient, and stress-free for passengers.
