Railways' announcement of operating 12k spl trains during festive season draws criticism
Bihar Daily Passengers' Association (BDPA) has expressed doubts about the feasibility of running such a large number of additional trains, citing the limitations of the existing railway infrastructure in the state.
Shoaib Quraishi, general secretary of BDPA, questioned how the railways—already operating around 13,198 passenger trains daily across the country, including 4,111 mail/express, 3,313 passenger, and 5,774 suburban trains—plans to accommodate 12,000 more trains during a short festive window.
"This announcement appears unrealistic, especially in Bihar, where railway infrastructure is already under strain due to limited platforms, tracks, and scheduling capacity," he said.
In response, the railways on Thursday clarified that the figure of 12,000 referred to trips of special trains and not additional special trains. These trips will be spread out over the festive season to accommodate the increased demand from passengers heading to and from Bihar and other parts of the country, railway sources said.
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ECR's chief public relations officer (CPRO) Saraswati Chandra said, "The railways is planning to operate 12,000 trips of special trains which means that fewer trains will make multiple rounds on different routes during the festival period. This is a standard practice during high demand season," he said.
According to sources, the railways, which serves over 2.4 crore passengers daily across more than 7,000 stations nationwide, often increases its capacity during major festivals. However, a meticulous planning is essential to ensure smooth traffic operations especially in high demand regions like Bihar during Diwali and Chhath, sources added.
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