Patna Junction and other major stations across the East Central Railway (ECR) network are facing heavy passenger congestion during the Durga Puja travel season, despite more than 90 pairs of special trains being scheduled to make at least 3,000 trips by November 25.
The railway authorities have estimated that the festive period could bring an additional 15 lakh to 20 lakh passenger movements across the ECR jurisdiction. Patna Junction, a major railway hub, has emerged as a key pressure point, with crowds gathering on platforms, at ticket counters, in waiting halls and in station circulation areas.
To manage the surge and reduce the risk of overcrowding, ECR has deployed drone cameras at major stations to monitor passenger movement and identify areas experiencing heavy congestion. Additional Railway Protection Force personnel have also been deployed, ECR chief public relations officer Saraswati Chandra said.
RPF personnel have been positioned at sensitive locations including platforms, foot overbridges, ticket booking counters and waiting halls. Their responsibilities include regulating passenger movement, monitoring crowd density and preventing overcrowding that could lead to stampedes or other incidents during peak travel hours.
Officials are also focusing on the movement of passengers boarding and alighting from trains. Chandra said crowd management becomes particularly difficult when several trains arrive or depart within a short interval, causing a sudden increase in passenger numbers at platforms and access areas.
The special trains are intended to add carrying capacity as people travel to their hometowns and popular destinations for the celebrations. However, the scale of the expected increase means that additional train services alone do not remove the operational challenge at major hubs. Passenger flows must also be managed across station entrances, platforms, foot overbridges, waiting areas and ticket counters.
Patna Junction’s role as a major interchange and rail hub makes it especially vulnerable to short-duration surges when multiple services are scheduled close together. The railway’s current response combines additional services with real-time surveillance and personnel deployment at locations where crowding is most likely to occur.
The railway authorities have not announced any change to the reported schedule of special services. More than 90 pairs are scheduled to operate at least 3,000 trips until November 25, while security and crowd-control arrangements will continue at major stations across the ECR jurisdiction during the festive travel period.
