Jasidih, July 17: In a major initiative to ensure smooth travel for lakhs of devotees visiting Baba Baidyanath Dham during the world-famous Shravani Mela, Eastern Railway has rolled out its largest-ever operational plan, featuring 26 pairs of special trains, continuous MEMU services and enhanced passenger amenities across the Jasidih rail section.
The comprehensive plan includes the operation of 26 pairs of Shravani Mela Special trains, of which nine pairs will be long-distance services, while nearly 70 pairs of regular Mail and Express trains will continue to operate on the Jasidih section without disruption.
To strengthen last-mile connectivity, continuous MEMU Special trains will run on the Jasidih–Baidyanathdham–Deoghar–Basukinath rail corridor, enabling seamless movement of pilgrims between key religious destinations.
Asansol Divisional Railway Manager (DRM) Sangrah Maurya on Thursday inspected Jasidih, Baidyanathdham, Deoghar and Basukinath railway stations to review preparations for the annual pilgrimage. During the inspection, he assessed passenger amenities, security arrangements, crowd management, platform operations and overall readiness for the fair.
“The Railways aims to provide safe, smooth and convenient travel to devotees during the Shravani Mela,” Maurya said.
He added, “Twenty-six pairs of Shravani Mela Special trains, including nine pairs of long-distance services, will be operated this year,” while noting that “around 70 pairs of regular Mail and Express trains will continue to run as usual during the fair.”
To manage the anticipated rush, the stoppage time of several important trains at Jasidih station has been increased from two minutes to four or five minutes. A backup special train will also remain on standby to handle any sudden surge in passenger traffic.
“A backup special train will be kept ready to manage any additional rush of pilgrims,” the DRM said.
Railway authorities have also prohibited the entry of all vehicles into the Jasidih station premises during the fair to facilitate smooth crowd movement.
As part of the preparations, Jasidih station is being developed as the largest transit hub for the Shravani Mela, with an 80,000-square-foot temporary pandal offering resting space, drinking water, seating arrangements and organised queue management for devotees.
Railway officials said additional coaches would be attached to trains if passenger numbers exceed estimates, and more special trains would be introduced if required.
“If the number of pilgrims exceeds estimates, additional coaches will be attached and more special trains will be operated as required,” railway officials said.
Among the major services, the Howrah–Nateshwar (Rajgir) Shravani Mela Special will operate 38 trips between July 5 and September 29, running three days a week. The Saraigarh–Deoghar Shravani Mela Special has been operating since July 11 and will continue until August 28, while two pairs of 20-coach Bhagalpur–Ranchi Special trains have also been introduced.
The expanded Shravani rail network will connect major cities including Patna, Ranchi, Tatanagar, Bhagalpur, Barauni, Kiul, Varanasi, Katihar, Gorakhpur, Jaynagar, Raxaul and Sultanganj, ensuring improved accessibility for pilgrims from across eastern and northern India.
To enhance passenger convenience, Eastern Railway has set up additional ticket counters, ATMs, UTS mobile ticketing, digital payment facilities, help desks, medical centres, lost-and-found centres, clean toilets and adequate drinking water facilities at key stations.
Security arrangements have also been significantly strengthened with the deployment of additional Railway Protection Force (RPF) and Government Railway Police (GRP) personnel, round-the-clock CCTV surveillance, continuous patrolling and emergency response teams.
Reiterating the Railways’ commitment, officials said the objective is to ensure safe, easy and uninterrupted rail travel for the lakhs of devotees expected to visit Baba Baidyanath Dham during this year’s Shravani Mela.
