Union Minister for Railways, Information & Broadcasting, and Electronics & IT, Ashwini Vaishnaw, visited the Railway Board War Room on Thursday to review passenger movement during the festive season. Commending railway staff for their dedication, he extended Diwali greetings and praised the teams working round the clock to ensure smooth travel operations. To manage the surge in travel demand during Puja, Diwali, and Chhath, Indian Railways (IR) has deployed 12,011 special trains, marking a major increase from 7,724 services during the same period last year. Between 1 and 19 October 2025, 3,960 special trains were operated, transporting over 10 million passengers across the country. In the coming days, around 8,000 additional services are scheduled to run to accommodate the ongoing festive rush. Zone-Wise Operations The largest number of special trains are being run by: Central Railway (1,998 trains) Northern Railway (1,919 trains) Western Railway (1,501 trains) Other zones including East Central Railway (1,217) and North Western Railway (1,217) have also added capacity to handle regional demand. Additional trains have been deployed under Eastern (310), South Central (973), South Eastern (140), South Western (325), Southern (527), and North Eastern (442) zones, among others, bringing the total to 12,011 special trains across India. Passenger Growth in Delhi Area In the New Delhi region—covering New Delhi, Delhi, Anand Vihar, Hazrat Nizamuddin, and Shakur Basti stations—1.52 million passengers travelled between 16 and 19 October 2025, compared to 1.37 million during the same period last year, registering an increase of 150,000 passengers. The Railways has streamlined crowd management across major stations, introducing dedicated holding areas, extra ticket counters, clean washrooms, and potable water facilities. Digital train information displays and improved waiting areas have been set up to ensure passenger convenience. Dedicated Workforce More than 1.2 million railway employees are working tirelessly across divisions and zones to manage train operations, crowd flow, and onboard services. The Railways reaffirmed its commitment to providing safe, comfortable, and hassle-free travel during the festive rush.