Pune Division to Operate 1,052 Festival Special Train Trips for 15.23 Lakh Passengers During Diwali and Chhath Puja
Reported by Amit Singh
Pune, 23rd October 2025: Pune Division is operating 1,052 festival special train trips to manage the surge in passenger traffic during Diwali and Chhath Puja 2025. These special trains have been running for the past three weeks and will continue for the next one month, covering the period from mid-September to early December.
So far, 442 trips have been completed, carrying 6.69 lakh passengers, while the remaining 610 trips are expected to serve 8.54 lakh passengers, bringing the total projected number of travelers to 15.23 lakh.
“Pune Division handles over 100 regular Mail and Express trains daily, along with an average of seven to eight special trains. The number of services is being increased to manage the festive rush, particularly between October 23 and 26, when 10 trains per day will operate,” said Rajesh Kumar Verma, Divisional Railway Manager (DRM), Pune Division. He added that 34 special trains are scheduled during this four-day peak, with seven already run today and three more planned later.
To manage the large passenger flow, Pune station has a holding area of 21,500 square feet, accommodating around 3,500 passengers with luggage. This was expanded from an initial 6,000 square feet to handle the heavy festive crowd.
“All Bihar-bound trains are placed on Platform No. 1, which is connected to the holding area for smooth movement. Regular announcements and queue formations are being maintained for efficient boarding. A total of 209 staff members from RPF, MSF, and Home Guards, along with 30 ticket checking personnel, are deployed daily for crowd management,” said Hemant Kumar Behera, Divisional Commercial Manager (DCM) and PRO, Pune Division.
Additional Train-on-Demand (TOD) services such as Pune–Danapur, Pune–Harangul, and Daund–Ajmer are also running to further facilitate passenger travel.
During this festive period, Pune Division’s special trains are connecting passengers from Pune, Hadapsar, and Khadki to major states including Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Delhi, and Madhya Pradesh. Out of the total projected 15.23 lakh passengers, approximately 3.35 lakh are bound for Bihar, 3.42 lakh for Uttar Pradesh, 5.03 lakh for Maharashtra, 1.61 lakh for Rajasthan, and 1.44 lakh for Delhi. Together, Maharashtra, Bihar, and Uttar Pradesh account for over 77% of total passengers, highlighting high demand for north- and east-bound travel.
The division continues to focus on real-time monitoring of ticket availability, platform planning, and coordination with RPF and GRP to ensure safe, convenient, and efficient operations for all festival travelers.
