New Delhi: In a bid to ease the travel during the festive season, the Delhi Division of Northern Railway notified on Friday that it ran 28 special trains from the Delhi region to ensure hassle-free travel for the passengers during the Chhath festival.
The operation comes on the following day - of Thursday’s running of 30 special trains from the region. The trains left from major stations throughout the national capital area, of which eight left from New Delhi (with one unscheduled service on request) and seven from Anand Vihar Terminal, five from Shakur Basti, three from Delhi Junction, two from Hazrat Nizamuddin, and one each from Shamli and Rohtak.
These trains are operating to major destinations in northern and eastern India, where the volume of homebound travellers has increased in anticipation of the Chhath Puja celebrations.
This is supplemented by, in a special cultural effort, some of the major stations in the Delhi region — New Delhi, Anand Vihar Terminal, Hazrat Nizamuddin, and Ghaziabad — playing traditional Bhojpuri Chhath music over the announcement system.
The Northern Railway called it a gesture to let the commuters “feel at home,” has revolutionised the atmosphere at stations, harmonising with the spirit of worship during the festival. “Chhath festival is not complete without its folk songs,” said Himanshu Shekhar Upadhyay, CPRO, Northern Railway, adding that the move has been well appreciated by passengers. “The concept was to make the journey more enjoyable and provide a sense of belonging among the devotees,” he said.
The passengers also made positive comments about the arrangements.
“Feeling wonderful when Chhath song music hit my ear — it is an unforgettable experience,” the senior rail official said. Indian Railways’ arrangements are good this time,” said Kusum Devi, who was going from New Delhi to Abhaypur in Bihar. Kumari Shobha, who was off to Siwan, liked the emotional aspect of the move.