Kolkata: ER earns Rs 33 crore through festival special trains

Kolkata: Increased demand for special trains propelled the revenue earned by Eastern Railway (ER) during the festive season. They earned a whopping amount of Rs 33 crore from special train services this year, compared to Rs 10.49 crore earned in October last year.

The ER operated 185 trips of festival special trains for Diwali and Chhath Puja, showcasing a 40.20 per cent surge in commuting facilities compared to the 132 trips organised by the Railway division in the previous year.

The festival special trains connected major destinations, including Sealdah and New Jalpaiguri, Sealdah and Puri, Howrah and Delhi, Kolkata and Patna, Howrah and Raxaul, Asansol and Ananda Vihar, and Howrah-New Jalpaiguri, among others.

In anticipation of the increased passenger influx, ER has implemented comprehensive crowd management measures. The Railway Protection Force (RPF) personnel were deployed at crucial stations such as Howrah, Sealdah, Asansol, Malda, and Bhagalpur, overseeing the orderly movement of passengers both within and outside the stations.

To further enhance passenger convenience, ER opened reservation counters in one shift on holidays. “This initiative aimed to streamline the booking process, providing travellers with more flexibility and ease during peak travel periods,” an official said.

According to officials, popular trains to North India like Purvanchal Express, Gangasagar Express, Bagh Express and Mithilanchal Express have a massive waiting list on days ahead of Chhath, which is going to be observed from November 17 to November 20.

ER shared that Gangasagar Express has a waiting list of 399 in sleeper, 144 in third ac and 49 in second ac on November 14, the booking for sleeper in Mithilanchal Express on November 16 had to be closed, and Purvanchal Express has waiting list of 389 in sleeper, 129 in third ac and 48 in second ac for November 14.