The Chennai Central Diwali rush has pushed unreserved train coaches beyond their stated capacity, with thousands of migrant workers travelling to eastern and northern states and railway authorities increasing security and crowd-control measures at MGR Chennai Central railway station.
The rush began ahead of Diwali, which is three days away, as passengers sought trains to West Bengal, Bihar, Odisha and other northern states. Heavy crowds were reported for services including the Howrah Mail and Shalimar Express, both of which have only four unreserved compartments each.
According to the report, an unreserved LHB coach can accommodate about 100 passengers, but more than 200 people have been entering each compartment during the rush. Passengers have been occupying floors, doorways, steps, luggage areas and spaces near lavatories as they attempt to board the trains.
The overcrowding has also affected passengers holding reserved tickets. Santosh Kumar, who was travelling to Santragachi Junction in West Bengal, said passengers from unreserved coaches often move into sleeper coaches after the train crosses Nellore. He said this leaves reserved passengers struggling to reach or occupy their assigned seats.
“There is no point in booking a sleeper-class ticket on Howrah Mail. Once the train crosses Nellore, many passengers from unreserved coaches enter the reserved compartments. Even if the TTR fines them and asks them to return to the unreserved coaches, they refuse to leave and occupy our seats. We have no choice but to travel on the same train. The Railways should take necessary action,” Kumar said.
The incident highlights the operational pressure created when festival travel demand is concentrated on a limited number of unreserved coaches. The immediate challenge for the station is not only processing passengers at the platforms but also preventing unsafe boarding, managing queues and keeping reserved compartments accessible to ticketed passengers during the journey.
Railway officials have placed Chennai Central on high alert and said the station premises are being monitored throughout the day. More than 200 Railway Protection Force personnel are on duty at the station to manage crowd control, according to an RPF official posted there.
“We have been instructed to not let anyone break the queue and enter the station. More than 200 RPF personnel are on duty in the station premises to manage crowd control. Nobody is allowed to carry crackers or lighters inside the trains. Necessary action will be taken against anyone who causes trouble,” the official said.
The RPF is also enforcing restrictions on crackers and lighters inside trains. Additional personnel are scheduled to be deployed on Friday as more migrant workers are expected to leave Chennai before Diwali.
The reported scenes show how festival mobility can expose capacity constraints in long-distance rail travel, particularly for passengers relying on unreserved accommodation. For the authorities, the next stage of the rush will depend on queue management at the station, enforcement inside reserved coaches and the deployment of additional security personnel during the expected peak travel period.
