Indian Railways to add 650 holiday train services to tackle festive rush

Indian Railways has unveiled a large-scale plan to run hundreds of additional train services nationwide to cope with the spike in passenger numbers expected during the Christmas and New Year travel period. The Railways will operate 650 extra train trips, aimed at easing overcrowding and offering smoother journeys for people heading home or travelling to holiday destinations. The initiative forms part of a broader strategy to manage festive-season demand across the rail network.

In a statement, the Ministry of Railways said that 138 special trains have been planned, covering 650 trips that have already been proposed and approved. Of these, 244 trips have been officially notified so far. The ministry added that special train operations have been organised across nine railway zones in anticipation of heavy passenger traffic.

Western Railway has been allocated the largest share, with 26 special trains accounting for 226 approved trips, including 72 that have already been notified. Central Railway is running 18 special trains with 118 approved trips, 76 of which are now open to passengers.

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South Central Railway has lined up 26 trains for 34 approved trips, with 26 trips notified to date. South East Central Railway will operate 12 trains across 82 approved trips, including 24 that have been notified. South Western Railway has planned 20 trains with 42 approved trips, of which 28 are already notified.

In the northern and north-western regions, North Western Railway will run 14 trains for 72 approved trips, with six notified so far, while Northern Railway has planned 18 trains with 66 approved trips, eight of which have been announced.

Meanwhile, North Eastern Railway has proposed two special trains covering six approved trips, though none have been notified yet. Northeast Frontier Railway has planned two trains with four approved trips, all of which have already been notified.

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Railway officials expect the additional services to provide much-needed relief during one of the busiest travel periods of the year, helping passengers reach their destinations more comfortably during the festive holidays.

Meanwhile, the Western Railway has set up its first digital lounge and co-working space, which commenced operations recently at Mumbai Central railway station, officials said on December 17.

The digital lounge, spread over an area of 1,712 square feet, will provide comfortable seating arrangements, modular workstations, dedicated conference and meeting rooms, and flexible spaces for video conferencing for the passengers, they said.

"The digital lounge is aimed at catering to business travellers, professionals and remote workers, addressing the evolving needs of today's passengers," said Vineet Abhishek, chief public relations officer of the Western Railway.

Located at the Mumbai Central station's main line concourse, the digital lounge is expected to fetch approximately Rs 3.20 crore in revenue over a five-year period, contributing to non-fare revenue initiatives, they said.