India’s Railways Struggle To Handle Overwhelming Diwali And Chhath Festival Travel Rush As Millions Of Passengers Face Unprecedented Delays And Chaos At Key Stations

Published on October 19, 2025

India’s railway strategy is facing an unparalleled situation arsenic millions of passengers recreation location for nan Diwali and Chhath festivals, starring to terrible congestion and agelong delays astatine cardinal stations. The surge successful travelers, peculiarly those heading to Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, and Jharkhand, has stretched nan country’s railway infrastructure to its limits. Overcrowded platforms, lengthy waits, and difficulties successful ticketing person made nan travel a stressful acquisition for many. Despite nan efforts by nan Ministry of Railways to negociate nan business pinch typical trains and further crowd power measures, nan sheer measurement of travelers has resulted successful important chaos, highlighting nan urgent request for semipermanent improvements to grip specified festive surges.

India Faces Unprecedented Congestion astatine Railway Stations Amid Diwali and Chhath Festival Rush

Indian railway stations are experiencing record-breaking congestion arsenic millions of travelers make their measurement location for nan Diwali and Chhath festivals. The vacation unreserved has led to overcrowded platforms and lengthy delays, particularly for passengers walking to awesome destinations successful Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, and Jharkhand. The surge successful passengers is testing nan limits of India’s railway infrastructure, and respective stations person struggled to negociate nan influx.

Surat’s Udhna Railway Station Sees Extreme Overcrowding

One of nan astir melodramatic examples of nan chaos was witnessed astatine Udhna Railway Station successful Surat, Gujarat. On Saturday night, passengers lined up extracurricular Platform No. 6, wherever nan queue stretched for complete 2 kilometers. Many passengers, including women, children, and nan elderly, had to strengthen waiting times of up to 12 hours for trains scheduled to depart connected Sunday morning.

Footage from nan position revealed passengers opinionated successful nan dust, winding done nan position compound and spilling complete into nan adjacent Limbayat area. The show highlighted nan overwhelming request for trains and nan monolithic situation of controlling nan crowds. The deficiency of seating aliases shelter only intensified nan discomfort for those waiting.

The Ministry of Railways Responds pinch Immediate Measures

In consequence to nan overwhelming congestion, nan Ministry of Railways has implemented respective cardinal measures to easiness nan strain connected nan railway system. Special attraction has been fixed to overcrowded stations, pinch nan preamble of further ticketing counters and caller Passenger Facilitation Centers. Furthermore, to meet nan demand, a full of 12,000 typical trains person been scheduled passim nan show play to thief negociate nan monolithic travel of passengers.

Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw visited New Delhi Railway Station connected Saturday to measure nan business firsthand. With an estimated 175,000 passengers passing done nan station, including 75,000 without reserved tickets, it was confirmed that nan time marked nan highest of nan festive rush.

Vaishnaw emphasized that nan Ministry is taking beardown actions to forestall nan dispersed of mendacious accusation connected societal media, pinch FIRs being revenge against offenders who were spreading rumors. Furthermore, nan position has introduced holding areas to modulate rider introduction and guarantee location are nary stampede-like situations.

Crowd Management Solutions Implemented astatine Major Stations

Similar overcrowding was observed astatine cardinal stations for illustration Mumbai and Jhansi, wherever authorities quickly took steps to support order. At Mumbai’s Lokmanya Tilak Terminus, barricaded zones, colloquially referred to arsenic ‘Khatals’, were group up for wide coach passengers to thief streamline nan boarding process. These measures were implemented to trim nan consequence of stampedes, a captious interest fixed nan precocious measurement of passengers.

The Railway Protection Force (RPF) and nan Government Railway Police (GRP) person been deployed to stations successful ample numbers to negociate information and forestall immoderate untoward incidents. While galore passengers person praised nan improvements, others expressed frustrations complete difficulties successful purchasing tickets, pinch complaints of excessive charges and irregularities successful summons distribution extracurricular nan station.

Passenger Struggles astatine Jhansi and Other Stations

At Jhansi Railway Station, nan overcrowding was peculiarly terrible for trains walking to Gorakhpur. Passengers resorted to climbing done windows and doors, demonstrating nan strength of nan rush. In response, nan Divisional Railway Manager (DRM) and RPF unit quickly intervened to reconstruct bid and guarantee safety.

In summation to nan chaos surrounding ticketing and overcrowding, immoderate passengers expressed concerns astir nan deficiency of basal amenities astatine these stations. Reports of agelong queues astatine toilets, nutrient stalls, and inadequate seating options added to nan difficulties faced by travelers.

Overwhelming Pressure connected India’s Railway Infrastructure

The festive play has brought India’s railway infrastructure to its breaking point, revealing nan immense challenges of handling specified a immense number of travelers. With millions heading to their hometowns to observe nan festivals, nan railway strategy is nether immense pressure, and nan task of ensuring soft recreation is simply a daunting one.

Despite nan efforts by nan Ministry of Railways and section authorities to power nan situation, nan sheer standard of nan unreserved has highlighted nan request for semipermanent solutions to amended negociate rider postulation during highest seasons. The preamble of typical trains, on pinch enhanced crowd power strategies, has provided immoderate relief, but these measures are only a impermanent hole to a overmuch larger issue.

India’s railways are struggling to negociate nan overwhelming Diwali and Chhath show recreation rush, causing terrible congestion, agelong delays, and overcrowded stations. Despite efforts to alleviate nan strain, nan sheer measurement of travelers has highlighted nan urgent request for infrastructure improvements.

Looking Ahead: Improving Infrastructure for Future Festivities

While nan existent measures person helped alleviate immoderate of nan contiguous pressure, nan semipermanent solution lies successful amended infrastructure and precocious crowd guidance techniques. As nan organization continues to turn and nan request for recreation during festivals for illustration Diwali and Chhath increases, it is clear that nan Indian railway strategy must germinate to accommodate this surge.

Looking forward, nan attraction must beryllium connected expanding capacity, improving position facilities, and enhancing nan wide rider acquisition to make recreation during festive seasons much comfortable and efficient. As nan state continues to observe its festivals, nan railway strategy will stay a captious constituent of India’s proscription network, and ensuring its soft functioning will beryllium cardinal to nan country’s continued maturation and development.

In nan meantime, travelers heading location for nan holidays must proceed to trust connected nan improvements being rolled out, while managing nan chaos that comes pinch 1 of nan largest yearly migration events successful nan world.