With the Ganpati festival season kicking off, Central Railway has announced a comprehensive set of special arrangements to ensure a smooth, safe, and comfortable travel experience for thousands of passengers heading home for the celebrations.
In response to the significant surge in travel demand during the festive season, Indian Railways has introduced 380 special train trips for 2025, of which Central Railway is operating the highest share with 306 services. These trains connect major destinations such as Madgaon, Sawantwadi Road, Ratnagiri, Khed, Chiplun, Pune, and Nagpur—regions with traditionally heavy footfall during Ganpati.
Special Trains in Operation
The Ganpati Special trains began running from August 22, and services will continue through the peak festival travel period. The increased number of trains is aimed at easing congestion and offering more travel options to passengers in Maharashtra and the Konkan region
Extensive Crowd Management Measures
To cope with the expected surge in footfall, Central Railway has deployed senior officers at key stations—Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus (CSMT), Dadar, Lokmanya Tilak Terminus (LTT), Thane, and Panvel—from August 22 to 30 to oversee operations and crowd management.
Supporting them are commercial inspectors and over 180 ticket checking staff working round-the-clock to maintain order and assist passengers. Additional personnel have also been stationed at high-footfall suburban stations such as Chinchpokli and Currey Road.
Boost to Ticketing Infrastructure
To streamline ticketing and reduce congestion at counters, 30 Mobile-UTS (Unreserved Ticketing System) devices have been distributed across stations including Chinchpokli, Currey Road, Byculla, Parel, Dadar, Cotton Green, Vadala Road, Thane, and Panvel.
From August 27, two new ticket windows each will be opened at Chinchpokli and Currey Road stations. A Mobile-UTS and UTS App promotion team will also be stationed at several suburban stations for 10 days to educate passengers and encourage digital ticketing.
Passenger Assistance and Public Awareness
Additional facilitators have been deployed to help passengers at various busy stations, while banners and standees announcing Ganpati Special trains have been placed at prominent locations such as CSMT, Dadar, Thane, LTT, Diva, Kalyan, and Panvel.
A Chief Commercial Inspector will monitor real-time public announcements from the Central Announcer Room to keep passengers informed. Indian Railways is also pushing publicity through print and social media to spread awareness about the special services.
How to Get Information
Passengers can check schedules and availability for Ganpati special trains at station enquiry counters, on the official Indian Railways enquiry website (www.enquiry.indianrail.gov.in), through the NTES App, or via the IRCTC website and RailOne app.
"With these measures, Central Railway reiterates its commitment to ensuring a safe, efficient, and stress-free travel experience during the high-demand Ganpati festival season" said an official of CR .
