Indian Railways is taking proactive measures to address the overwhelming number of passengers traveling on the Mumbai-Gujarat route by continuously expanding train services.
The timetable for two special trains originating from Prayagraj in Uttar Pradesh has been released, aiming to alleviate the congestion.
These dedicated trains will operate from July 7 to September 29.
One of the special trains, numbered 04151-04152, known as the Kanpur Central – Lokmanya Tilak Weekly Superfast Special, will depart from Kanpur Central every Friday at 3.45 pm.
It will arrive in Prayagraj at 6.10 pm and reach Lokmanya Tilak at 2.55 pm on Saturdays.
On the return journey, the train will leave Lokmanya Tilak at 5.15 pm on Saturday, reaching Prayagraj at 12.40 pm and Kanpur Central at 3.25 pm on Sunday.
The train will traverse the route via Satna, Katni, Jabalpur, Itarsi, and Bhusaval.
It comprises a total of 24 coaches, including two SLRD (sleeper-cum-luggage racks), five general, eight sleeper, eight AC III, and one AC II coaches.
Furthermore, the 09117 Surat-Subedarganj weekly special train will depart from Surat every Friday between July 7 and August 28.
The return journey, designated as train number 09118, will run on Saturdays from July 8 to August 26.
The soaring demand for train tickets is evident, with approximately 10,000 Tatkal tickets being booked within a mere minute.
Confirmed tickets for trains heading to Mumbai, Pune, Surat, and Secunderabad are being secured in just 40 to 45 seconds,
while tickets for trains bound for Delhi and Punjab are being sold within 60 seconds.
Passengers queuing at ticket counters are growing increasingly frustrated as they are predominantly receiving waitlisted tickets.
The surge in ticket demand can be attributed to weddings and the summer vacation period.
Despite approximately 20 express trains operating daily from various cities in Uttar Pradesh to different destinations, securing confirmed tickets has become an arduous task. Even waitlisted tickets are in high demand.
To address this issue, Indian Railways has taken the initiative to introduce special trains in an effort to manage the growing crowd.
