Bhubaneswar, July 4: Keeping in view the ensuing Rath Yatra, Ministry of Railways have decided to provide convenience to the devotees coming to Puri by Rail. Safety, security and additional services of Rath Yatra special trains have been planned along with sanitation and cleanliness of station premises in view of huge congregation.
A round-the-clock control room has been opened to look into passengers’ issues as well as smooth train operations. Emphasis will be given on effective announcements at station and smooth disbursal of tickets through additional ticket booking counters. Traffic & other arrangements and facilities at enroute stations have been given attention.
ECoR has extensively preparing for the Rath Yatra arrangements. The measures to be implemented by Railways during Rath Yatra are - crowd management, train information system/enquiry counters, video walls display, UTS on mobile app, additional ticket booking counters and mobile ticket counters, pilgrim waiting area/shed and mela shed to accommodate 15000 pilgrims & devotees, security arrangements, catering & hospitality, medical facilities & ambulance, as well as the provision of power supply, water supply, cleanliness, security, drinking water, and sufficient toilets for the convenience of passengers. Railways aims to carry 15 lakh passengers to and from Puri during the festival. Apart from this, Special Trains will be run by using AI based dynamic Scheduling System.
Special Trains:
Railways will be running more than 315 Special Trains from almost all parts of Odisha and from neighboring states like Chhattisgarh, Andhra Pradesh and West Bengal. A large number of extra coaches will be put into service in order to run these special trains. Elaborate arrangements has been made for cleaning and watering of trains for ensuring pleasant and comfortable journey. Special Train will also run by using AI based dynamic scheduling system.
Extra ticket counters:
In order to handle large number of pilgrims, additional ticket counters will be opened at Puri Railway Station round-the-clock. Similarly, in order to handle the additional rush of pilgrims at other stations, additional booking counters will be opened at peak hours at Bhubaneswar, Cuttack, Khurda Road, Brahmapur, Balugaon, Khalokot, Paradeep, Bhadrak and Jajpur Keonjhar Road along with other important other Stations in its jurisdiction.
Enquiry Counters and Information Centers:
Additional enquiry counters will be opened at Puri Railway Station in addition to existing counters. These counters will be strategically located in the circulating area and near the temporary entry point at the extreme end of platform.
Passenger Help Desks will be set up near the buffer ends of Platforms in order to guide the passengers. Passengers can also enquire about the train running information, medical assistance, security assistance, etc.
