Pune sees over 50,000 daily passengers to UP, Bihar ahead of Chhath; railway adds trains, staff

Pune, November 9, 2026: More than 50,000 passengers are travelling daily from Pune towards Uttar Pradesh and Bihar after Diwali. To handle the rush ahead of Chhath Puja, the Pune Railway Division has stepped up arrangements. Four to six additional unreserved trains are running every day, some trains are being dispatched from Hadapsar and Khadki stations, and the deployment of railway and security personnel has been increased.

The additional trains are meeting the higher demand for destinations such as Danapur, Gorakhpur, Mau, Deoria, Muzaffarpur and Darbhanga. Shifting some trains from Pune to Hadapsar and Khadki is meant to spread the passenger load across stations and ease crowding at Pune railway station. Divisional Railway Manager Rajesh Kumar Verma is visiting platforms, monitoring arrangements continuously and speaking to passengers.

Fifteen automatic ticket vending machines (ATVMs) are operating at Pune station. Thirteen assistants are working in shifts to help passengers. Extra ticket counters are also being opened at Pune and Hadapsar during peak hours. Tickets can also be bought through M-UTS at the holding area of Pune station. Supervisors are keeping a constant watch on booking queues, while sale of platform tickets at Pune has been restricted to control entry into the station.

The division has deployed 57 ticket-checking staff at Pune, Hadapsar and Khadki, including 37 additional personnel. A total of 290 RPF personnel have been put on duty at these three stations. Commercial officers and supervisors have been given specific responsibility to ensure passengers board in an orderly manner and that no one enters reserved coaches without permission.

The division is also using AI from its war room to monitor passenger movement and train operations. The war room brings together live feeds from stations and real-time operational data in one place, allowing officials to analyse incidents, identify crowding and act in time. Train movement and delays are also tracked there, so that lapses can be investigated and corrective steps taken.

Public Relations Officer Hemant Kumar Behera said, "The Pune Railway Division has made extensive arrangements to handle the increased passenger rush after Diwali and before Chhath Puja. More than 50,000 passengers are travelling towards North India every day, so we are running four to six additional unreserved trains daily to meet the demand. To spread the passenger load, some trains have also been run from Hadapsar and Khadki."

Behera further said, "Additional ticketing facilities, ATVMs and M-UTS services have been put in place to make buying tickets easier and manage queues. We have strengthened the deployment of ticket-checking staff and RPF at all three stations, and commercial officers and supervisors are monitoring passenger movement and boarding arrangements. Our war room is tracking station activity, train movement and delays through an AI-based system, live feeds from stations and real-time data. This allows officials to assess the situation and take immediate steps. DRM Rajesh Kumar Verma is also regularly reviewing arrangements at the stations and speaking to passengers. All the departments concerned are working in coordination to handle the festival rush."

Chhath Puja will be observed from November 13 to 16. The four-day festival begins with Nahay-Khay on November 13, followed by Kharna on November 14. On November 15, devotees will offer Sandhya Arghya to the setting sun, and the festival will conclude on November 16 with Usha Arghya and Parana.

Passenger demand is expected to remain heavy during this period on routes linking Pune with Bihar and eastern Uttar Pradesh.