Bhubaneswar: Around 13 lakh pilgrims passed through Puri railway station during this year’s Rath Yatra, with the station handling nearly 1 lakh passengers daily on average, the East Coast Railway said on Wednesday.The passenger turnout was 6.78% higher than last year, despite continuous rain during the festival period. ECoR said the heavy rush was managed through advance planning, real-time monitoring and close coordination with the district administration, Odisha police, temple authorities and other govt agencies.More than 300 special trains were operated for Rath Yatra this year. Passenger demand was monitored through real-time ticket sales, enabling the railways to introduce additional services whenever required. Extra rakes were also kept ready at strategic locations on the Khurda Road-Puri section for immediate deployment. Two Amrit Bharat special trains were among the additional services run to handle the festival rush.To ease crowding at booking counters, ECoR expanded the use of digital ticketing facilities, automatic ticket vending machines and mobile unreserved ticketing system devices. A command and control centre, linked to 220 CCTV cameras and 19 video walls, monitored passenger movement and supported crowd regulation across the station.According to ECoR, preparations for the festival began several months in advance. A detailed action plan covered infrastructure, passenger amenities, security, surveillance, train operations and emergency response. Arrangements were reviewed regularly at the divisional and zonal levels.Temporary holding areas covering more than 16,000 square metres and rest shelters spread over 13,000 square metres were created to protect pilgrims from rain. Passenger amenities included 187 temporary toilets, 128 bathrooms and 103 urinals. Housekeeping teams were deployed round the clock to maintain cleanliness at stations and passenger zones.Medical teams, first-aid booths and ambulances were stationed at Puri and other key locations. Around 13,000 pilgrims received medical assistance during the festival. Food safety and drinking water quality were checked through inspections, residual chlorine testing, bacteriological sampling and laboratory testing of food samples as per FSSAI norms.Security arrangements were handled by RPF and GRP personnel with support from CCTV surveillance and AI-based monitoring systems. Security teams also helped trace missing children, recover passengers’ belongings and prevent unlawful activities during the festival rush.
