East Central Railway has expanded crowd-management preparations for the post-Chhath passenger rush, with Patna Junction set to accommodate around 4,000 passengers in a designated holding area before they board their trains. The arrangements were reviewed by ECR general manager Dimpy Garg during inspections at six major stations in Bihar.
Garg visited Jayanagar, Samastipur, Darbhanga, Saharsa and Jhanjharpur stations under the Samastipur division before reaching Patna Junction on Friday. The inspections focused on passenger movement, holding areas and measures intended to prevent overcrowding on platforms and inside station premises during the peak festive travel period.
According to ECR chief public relations officer Saraswati Chandra, passengers will be allowed to enter station premises only 30 minutes before the scheduled arrival of their trains. The system is intended to regulate the flow of passengers through the stations and reduce the risk of an untoward incident caused by overcrowding.
The post-Chhath period typically sees large numbers of passengers leaving Bihar after returning to their home districts for the festival. Railway officials said additional arrangements were being made to ensure that passengers could board trains without facing inconvenience during the rush.
Patna Junction will have the largest holding capacity among the major stations covered by the ECR plan, with space for about 4,000 passengers. Muzaffarpur and Gaya stations will each be able to accommodate around 3,000 passengers, while Patliputra Junction will have capacity for approximately 2,500 passengers.
Danapur, Darbhanga, Rajendra Nagar Terminal and Samastipur stations will each have holding areas for around 2,000 passengers. Taken together, the eight stations will have the capacity to accommodate approximately 20,500 passengers at a time, according to the railway administration.
The holding areas are being equipped with passenger amenities including UTS counters, train information display systems and May I Help You booths. These facilities are intended to allow passengers to wait outside crowded platforms while accessing ticketing, information and assistance services.
The railway administration said its preparations would focus on crowd regulation, passenger convenience and coordinated management during the festive rush. The entry-control system and holding-area arrangements will be used as passengers return from Chhath celebrations and travel onwards from the major stations.
