Onam travel relief: Indian Railways announces 100+ special trains to Kerala; routes to be out soon

NEW DELHI: In a major festive boon for commuters, Union Minister for Railways Ashwini Vaishnaw has announced that the Central Government will operate more than 100 special train services for Kerala to accommodate the heavy passenger rush during the upcoming Onam festival. The specific routes and schedules for these festival-bound trains will be finalised and announced shortly.

The Railway Minister made the announcement during an event where he flagged off the Nanded-Mumbai and Tanakpur-Nanded Express trains via video conferencing from Rail Sadan in Bhubaneswar. He also inaugurated the extension of the Tanakpur-Pilibhit train service up to Shahjahanpur. Alongside the festive services for Kerala, the Minister announced that more than 300 special trains would be deployed in Odisha for the Jagannath Rath Yatra.

Highlighting the recent performance of the national carrier, the Minister noted that the Railways successfully operated a record-breaking 15,000 special train services during the summer season this year. He emphasised that the introduction of more than 100 special trains for Onam is part of a concerted effort by the Union Government and Prime Minister Narendra Modi to provide safe, reliable, and affordable travel options for citizens during major festivals.

Reflecting on the infrastructure growth over the past decade, the Minister stated that an extensive transformation of the railway network has been underway for the last 12 years under the special focus of Prime Minister Modi. He shared that approximately 37,000 kilometres of new railway tracks have been constructed during this period, marking an unprecedented milestone in the history of Indian Railways. Additionally, the railway network has achieved 99.6 percent electrification across the country.