Over 1.5 crore train passengers travel this season
India has transported nearly 15 million train passengers this festive season and expects more than 25 million travelers by the end of the celebration period, Railways Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw announced on Saturday. The railway network established large holding facilities at 30 stations to improve crowd control. Special train services have expanded dramatically from 178 runs under former minister Lalu Prasad to more than 13,000 currently.
Safety improvements have reduced railway accidents from over 170 in 2014 to just 31 in 2024-25, Vaishnaw noted. Track construction has accelerated from 400 to 600 kilometers annually to above 4,000 kilometers per year. The system has scheduled 6,181 special trains for October 28 to help passengers return to work after Chhath Puja festivities.
Thirty Bihar stations feature enhanced amenities such as additional ticket windows, surveillance cameras and round-the-clock medical facilities. The minister also reported that more than 1.2 million central government employees now use Zoho’s domestic digital platform, and India will produce all mobile phone components within two years.
