Indian Railways Operates 12,000 Special Trains for Festive Rush

28 Oct 2025 CW Team

Union Minister for Railways, Information & Broadcasting, and Electronics & Information Technology, Ashwini Vaishnaw, reviewed passenger movement at the Railway Board War Room and appreciated staff for their round-the-clock efforts during the festive season. He extended Diwali greetings to railway personnel across the country.

To meet the surge in travel demand during Puja, Diwali, and Chhath, Indian Railways has deployed 12,011 special trains—up from 7,724 last year—ensuring smooth and comfortable travel for passengers nationwide. Between 1 and 19 October 2025, 3,960 special trains were operated, facilitating journeys for over ten million passengers.

For the upcoming Diwali and Chhath peak, around 8,000 additional services are scheduled. Northern Railway (1,919), Central Railway (1,998), and Western Railway (1,501) lead festive operations, while East Central and North Western Railways each contributed 1,217 special services.

To enhance passenger comfort, Indian Railways has introduced holding areas, extra ticket counters, clean washrooms, potable water, and clear display boards at major stations. In the New Delhi region—covering New Delhi, Delhi, Anand Vihar, Hazrat Nizamuddin, and Shakur Basti—1.517 million passengers travelled between 16 and 19 October, up from 1.366 million during the same period last year.

During station visits in Delhi and Anand Vihar, the Minister interacted with travellers and inspected arrangements to ensure a safe and convenient journey experience. More than 1.2 million railway employees are working 24x7 to facilitate hassle-free festive travel across the network.

Equipment

23 Dec 2025

PALFINGER Reinforces India Focus at EXCON 2025

PALFINGER strengthened its long-term commitment to India at EXCON 2025, marking its largest participation at the exhibition with a 1,000 sq m booth. The global lifting and technology solutions provider showcased advanced lifting equipment, digital solutions and outlined a clear roadmap for expanding its India operations.India has emerged as a priority growth market for PALFINGER, driven by sustained infrastructure development and rising demand for high-performance lifting solutions. Alexander Susanek, COO, PALFINGER, said India is playing an increasingly influential role in the company’s glo..

HAL Airport Reopening Needs BIAL Consent: Centre

The Union government has said that reopening the existing HAL Airport in Bengaluru for civilian operations would require the consent of Bengaluru International Airport Limited (BIAL), in line with the concession agreement governing Kempegowda International Airport (KIA). Informing the Lok Sabha, Minister of State for Civil Aviation Murlidhar Mohol said the concession agreement between the Government of India and Bengaluru International Airport Limited stipulates that no new or existing airport—except for the development of Mysuru and Hassan as domestic airports—can be developed, improved,..

Guwahati Airport Plans Second Terminal As Traffic Grows

Even as Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to inaugurate the new terminal at Lokapriya Gopinath Bordoloi International Airport on December 20, the Assam government has begun planning a second terminal at Guwahati’s main aviation hub to cater to rising passenger traffic and the airport’s expanding regional role. Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said the state is considering a completely new additional terminal, noting that planning work is already under way. Following the inauguration, all operations will initially be shifted to the new terminal, while the existing terminal will be phas..