Travel
Ashwini Vaishnaw: Railways Running 18,000 Special Trains for Diwali, Chhath
After inspecting holding areas at New Delhi station, the Railway Minister outlined a festive-season push that pairs extra services with AI-driven crowd monitoring.
Desh Flash desk7 November 2026, 11:15 am IST1 minUpdated 7 November 2026, 11:15 am IST
Indian Railways is operating around 18,000 special trains to handle the festive rush that includes Diwali and Chhath, Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said on Thursday evening after inspecting the holding areas at New Delhi Railway Station.
Mr Vaishnaw also said more than 700 AI-enabled cameras are now installed at the station. They are meant to track passenger movement and support crowd management, a priority at one of the busiest rail hubs in the country as travellers head home for the holidays.
The scale matters. Diwali and Chhath trigger one of the largest annual migrations of people in India, with many travelling to Bihar, Uttar Pradesh and other states. Extra trains add seats on high-demand routes, while holding areas help regulate how passengers enter platforms so that crowds do not build up at once.
For the economy, the festive travel surge is more than a logistics story. Heavy passenger traffic supports railway revenue, and people reaching their hometowns on time feed spending on retail, food, transport and local services during the season. Smooth operations at major terminals are therefore closely watched.
The camera network points to a wider shift toward technology-led station management. Real-time monitoring can help staff spot congestion early and respond faster, though the ministry's statement did not detail how the system will be used on the ground.
Travellers heading out in the coming days should check train timings and platform information before reaching the station, given the volume of special services running alongside regular ones.
