Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw has announced that Indian Railways will operate 300 special trains for the upcoming Puri Rath Yatra and 100 special trains for the Onam festival in Kerala. The special trains will cater to the increased travel demand during both festivals. This year’s Puri Rath Yatra is scheduled to begin on July 16, while the Onam festival will be celebrated next month.
The Railway Minister made the announcement during his visit to Odisha, where he flagged off two new trains to improve rail connectivity: the Puri-Koraput Express and the Brahmapur-Udhna Amrit Bharat Express, which will operate daily. Vaishnaw also reviewed the arrangements at Puri railway station, including crowd management, passenger movement, and operational preparedness. A holding area is being developed to accommodate more than 30,000 devotees.
According to the minister, over 300 special trains are planned for Rath Yatra, in addition to the regular services. On the occasion of Onam, more than 100 special trains will be operated to facilitate travel for passengers going to their hometowns across Kerala. The Ministry of Railways has also announced that it will add extra coaches to several trains to generate more berths for passengers.
Last year, the East Coast Railway operated 365 special trains to handle the Rath Yatra rush, connecting Puri with various parts of the country. The temporary addition of extra coaches to several trains has already been announced by the East Coast Railway to meet the passenger rush. The special train services for Onam will be notified to facilitate travel for passengers going to their hometowns across Kerala to celebrate the festival with their families.
