Source – https://www.livemint.com/news/india/indian-railways-to-run-special-vande-bharat-train-from-delhi-to-patna-for-chhath-puja-11698719810517.html
Publisher – Mint
As Indian Railways has unveiled a plan to introduce 283 festival special trains for the Diwali and Chhath Puja celebrations, special Vande Bharat Express train from Delhi to Patna is scheduled to take 3-4 trips during Chhath Puja.
As reported by The New Indian Express citing a railway official, “this will be the first time that Indian Railways will be exhibiting a high degree of obeisance to the Chhath deity, by running the special Vande Bharat train between Patna and New Delhi.”
Meanwhile, Indian Railways has announced 283 festival special trains for Diwali and Chhath Puja. Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw confirmed that special train services will collectively make 4,480 trips to accommodate the surge in passenger traffic during the festive season.
According to the Indian Railways, the Eastern Central Railway will operate 42 trains which will make a maximum of 512 trips, and the Western Railway will operate 36 trains during the festival season time and will make a maximum of 1,262 trips.
The Ministry of Railways said in a press release, “Special Trains have been planned to connect major destinations across the country on railway routes like Delhi- Patna, Delhi-Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Katra, Danapur-Saharsa, Danapur- Bengaluru, Ambala-Saharsa, Muzaffarpur-Yesvantpur, Puri-Patna, Okha-Naharlagun, Sealdah-New Jalpaiguri, Kochuveli-Bengaluru, Benaras- Mumbai, Howrah-Raxaul etc. During 2022, Indian Railways had notified 2614 trips of 216 Puja Special trains.”
The North Western Railway is set to manage a total of 24 trains, amounting to 1,208 trips in its effort to meet the travel demand during the festive season.
In parallel, Indian Railways has initiated a dedicated campaign to combat ticketless travel and enhance the travel experience for bona fide passengers during the forthcoming festival period.
The Railway Board has recommended that the railway zones instruct their ticket-checking personnel to ensure the authenticity of passengers by verifying valid, authorized proof of identity.
