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Migrants heading to Uttar Pradesh and Bihar to celebrate Diwali and Chhath with family have encountered serious difficulties. A huge number of passengers gathered at the Udhana railway station in Surat, Gujarat state. The situation is so tense that people have to stand in long queues for six to eight hours just to get a ticket or a seat on the train, with no guarantee of securing a confirmed spot.

There is severe crowding at the station as passengers try to board arriving trains, leading to falls. The most critical situation has developed in the general compartments. Passengers claim that carriages designed for approximately 120 people are accommodating between 500 and 600 people. Under these conditions, there is not even room to put one's foot down, forcing people to travel hundreds of kilometers standing up.

Passengers note that the number of people traveling from Surat to UP and Bihar during Diwali and Chhath increases every year, but the railway infrastructure cannot cope with such a flow. People, hoping to meet their families during the holidays, wait for hours at the station, unsure if they will reach their hometowns in time.

Sachin Rajbhar, who was traveling to Banaras (Uttar Pradesh), reported that he arrived at the station the evening before, around 6:00-7:00 PM, and has been in line ever since without receiving a ticket. He noted the lack of adequate arrangements for traveling home. Sachin emphasized that after years of hard labor, if he cannot reach his family by the festival, what is the point of his work.

He accused them of shoving passengers into trains like cattle and transporting them in poorly organized carriages, resulting in many falling. According to Sachin, some people who fell returned to the queue but still could not find a place to travel to Banaras. He is worried whether they will be able to reach home by Diwali at all.

Another passenger, Satyam Tiwari, said he has been standing at the station from noon until three in the afternoon. The train that was supposed to take him has already left, and now he has to wait for the next service. He added that after Diwali comes Chhath, and thousands of people are in a difficult situation trying to reach their homes. Furthermore, the station lacks sufficient amenities for passengers.

Satyam Tiwari also raised the issue of the shortage of drinking water at the station, addressing the railway administration about measures to solve the problems of thousands of suffering passengers. He needs to reach Banaras, but uncertainty remains regarding whether there will be a seat on the next train.

Dharmand Kumar, traveling to Danapur, reported that he has been waiting in line since 3 AM. The train to Danapur has already departed, and now he has to wait for the next train to Balgapura, although there is no information about seat availability. Dharmand noted that standing for many hours causes leg pain, and the station also lacks sufficient facilities. Since the next day is Diwali, he is concerned whether he will make it home in time to celebrate the festival with his family.

On the other hand, an official spokesperson for Western Railway, Anubhav Saxena, stated that passenger comfort is a priority for the railway. He clarified that due to the increase in passenger traffic during Diwali and Chhath, special transport is being provided in addition to regular trains. According to him, 10 trains are scheduled for Saturday for passengers traveling to Uttar Pradesh and Bihar. Six of them have already departed, and four more are yet to leave. These 10 trains include three regular and seven special services, two of which are destined for Jainagar. The railway official stated that more than 15,000 passengers have already departed. Additional trains will be organized as the number of passengers increases.

Anubhav Saxena also reported that Railway Protection Force (RPF) personnel are deployed at the station to control crowds, helping passengers move towards the carriages in an orderly manner. Additionally, commercial staff and counters are operating actively. Special counters, seating areas, and drinking water are available at the customer service center. The railway asserts that all necessary measures have been taken to ensure passenger safety and convenience.

Despite the railway administration's statements about launching additional special trains and providing amenities, the passengers' problems at the station cast doubt on the effectiveness of these measures. Every year during Diwali and Chhath from Surat to Uttar Pradesh and Bihar...

With the approach of the Diwali and Chhath festivals, there is a massive influx of people at major city railway stations across the country as they return home. People working in metropolises such as Delhi, Mumbai, and Gujarat are heading to Uttar Pradesh and Bihar to celebrate the festivals with their families. However, this desire to reach home turns into a difficult ordeal for travelers.

In the ordinary compartments of regular trains traveling from Delhi and Mumbai towards UP-Bihar, there is simply not enough space to put one's foot down. The situation is so severe that many passengers have to travel by clinging to the doors.

Similar scenes of overcrowding were observed at one of the busiest stations on the Delhi-Howrah line—Pandit Dindayal Upadhyay Junction station. Trains arriving here are packed with passengers. Given the growing pressure during the festive period, the railway has intensified security measures and crowd control at the station, involving personnel from GRP and RPF, as well as commercial department staff.

Photographs of the Purushottam Express train arriving at Pandit Dindayal Upadhyay Junction station demonstrate the dire condition of the passengers. This train, which travels from Anand Vihar via Kanpur, Prayagraj, Pandit Dindayal Upadhyay Junction, and Gaya to Puri, was initially overcrowded. The situation in the general compartments was particularly critical. Passengers standing on the platform had to exert great effort just to board the train.

Pintyu Kumar, traveling from Bhusawal to Gaya, told 'AajTak' that all trains are severely overloaded. Since there was no direct train from Bhusawal to Gaya, he had to travel on another train. He noted that when boarding the compartment, there were so many people that there was no room to stand, and he reached Pandit Dindayal Upadhyay Junction while standing.

Vijay Kumar, traveling from Alipur to Gaya, is also returning home for Diwali and Chhath Puja and reported serious discomfort due to the crowds. Sandeep Kumar, traveling from Jaipur to Gaya, shared that he managed to reach his destination by clinging to the door.

Guru Prasad, traveling from Delhi to Gaya on the Purushottam Express, described the conditions inside the train. He stated that he is traveling while standing in the compartment and confirmed that there is still no legroom. He emphasized that although traveling while clinging to the door is dangerous, passengers have no other choice.

Guru Prasad also mentioned problems with obtaining tickets for urgent journeys and difficulties in planning trips in advance. According to him, it was hard to decide two months beforehand whether he could go home for the festivals. Although the railway launched special trains, they are insufficient compared to the number of passengers. He added that if there were adequate measures, people would not have to risk themselves in this manner.

Vivek Kumar expressed dissatisfaction with the lack of basic amenities on the train. He reported that due to the excessive crowd, it is difficult to even reach the toilet. There is a shortage of water, and due to the dirt, visiting it becomes difficult. Furthermore, due to the crush, passengers find it hard to breathe.

Rahul Kumar, traveling on the same train from Anand Vihar to Gaya, said that he also had to stand initially but later managed to find a spot. He also complained about the lack of water in the toilet. Shambhu Yadav appealed to the government to increase the number of general compartments on trains during the holidays.

A similar picture of overcrowding was observed on an express train traveling from Mumbai via Balgapur to Godda, departing from Lokmanya Tilak Terminus. When this train arrived at Pandit Dindayal Upadhyay Junction station, its general compartments were also overcrowded. The situation was so bad that some passengers constructed a fabric hammock in the carriage gallery to sleep on at night. Many people were also seen traveling while clinging to the doors.

Vikas Kumar, who arrived from Mumbai, reported that due to the crowd, he could not find a place and is traveling by clinging to the door. Sudhir, another passenger, said that due to the lack of space, he has to sit while clinging to the door, describing the experience as extremely unpleasant.

Overall, as every year, passengers returning to UP-Bihar for Diwali and Chhath Puja face severe overcrowding on trains. Although the railway has organized hundreds of special trains for the holidays, the pressure from passengers on regular trains remains evident.

Due to the extreme difficulty in finding confirmed tickets on regular trains during the Diwali and Chhath festivals, Indian Railways has organized special trains for passengers.

Considering the large number of travelers heading home or returning after the holidays, the railway company has launched special trains for Bihar and Purvanchal from various cities, including Delhi, Mumbai, Pune, Punjab, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, and South India.

These special trains allow travel to towns such as Patna, Danapur, Muzaffarpur, Darbhanga, Saharsa, Madhubani, Jainagar, Purnia, Barauni, Samastipur, and others. Some of these trains will run daily, while others are available only on specific days of the week or on set dates.

According to the information, in addition to 103 pairs of special trains running from stations belonging to the Central Eastern Railway until November 3, 2026, another 5 pairs of special trains will be launched under the jurisdiction of the Eastern Central Railway. Furthermore, 51 pairs of trains will operate through various stations in Bihar and Jharkhand.

The railway company has also taken care of passengers returning from other cities after the holidays. Therefore, special trains run not only towards home but also back, connecting various cities of Bihar and Jharkhand with different states across the country. Many residents of Purvanchal, Bihar, and Jharkhand work in Delhi, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Punjab, and several southern states, and they require return journeys after the festivals.

Passengers planning to travel home for Chhath or Diwali can choose a suitable option based on their departure city and travel date.

Schedules for several special trains are provided, such as 04410 Shakurbasti-Jhanjharpur Special, which operates from November 5 to 7 and from November 10 to 14. Train 04409 Jhanjharpur-Shakurbasti Special runs from November 6 to 8 and from November 11 to 15. Special trains 04078 Delhi-Darbhanga and 04077 Darbhanga-Delhi are also available, running on November 10 and 11, respectively.

Trains from Punjab and Chandigarh to Bihar:

Among them are: 04668 Amritsar-Barauni Special, which runs every Sunday until November 29; 04667 Barauni-Amritsar Special, which runs every Tuesday until December 1; 04652 Amritsar-Jainagar Special, available every Wednesday, Friday, and Sunday until November 29, and so on.

Special trains from Rishikesh to Muzaffarpur:

Train 04314 Yogangari Rishikesh-Muzaffarpur Special runs every Sunday and Thursday until November 29, and 04313 Muzaffarpur-Yogangari Rishikesh Special runs every Monday and Friday until November 30.

Trains from Patna to Hawada, Sialdah, and other eastern cities:

Services such as 03135 Sialdah-Patna Special and 03136 Patna-Sialdah Special are available, operating until November 24 on Tuesdays. There are also trains 03511 Asansol-Patna Special and 03512 Patna-Asansol Special, running until November 29 on Sundays.

Trains from Hawada, Kolkata, and Sialdaha to North Bihar:

Among them are: 03041 Hawada-Raxaul Special, which runs every Thursday until November 26; 03042 Raxaul-Hawada Special, running every Friday until November 27, and other routes connecting these regions.