Action plan to tackle festival rush at stations

NEW DELHI: Ahead of the festival season, Northern Railway has rolled out an elaborate action plan to ensure unhindered services to the growing volume of passengers during the ensuing period.

An action plan is being firmed up to ensure passenger convenience and safe running of trains during the rush for festivals such as Durga Puja, Diwali, Chhath and Christmas, said a senior Northern Railway official.

The thrust of the plan is to ensure smooth functioning and hassle-free purchase of rail tickets while stepping up vigilance to curb malpractices in all mass contact areas.

An elaborate plan has been made to check the activities of touts, unauthorized travel agents and other elements involved in such anti-social activities near stations.

Steps have been taken to deal with tout menace near booking counters and also to ensure availability of passenger amenities at stations and in trains during the period, said the official.

As per the plan, extra staff will be deputed near windows outside reservation counters at all locations during the period on all days including Sundays and holidays to counter-sign requisition forms after ensuring complete filling of the form, especially the address before it is submitted to the reservation clerk besides providing additional counters at locations where it is necessary.

There will be special squads of railways officers and ticket-checking staff to hold special surprise checks to curb the activities of anti-social elements. Special squads would also conduct checks to detect various frauds like travelling on transferred tickets.

Northern Railway has also planned to run special trains and attach extra coach during rush period.

Frequent announcements with regard to special trains and augmentation of trains and ensuring updation of the passenger reservation system will be made continuously.

There will be display of timings of special trains including their stoppages at various stations and extra coaches attached to different trains from time to time.

Adequate staff will be deputed to monitor cleanliness at platforms and waiting halls at stations.