(MENAFN- Live Mint) Chhath Puja preparations are in full swing and Indian Railways is gearing to cater to the festive rush. The festival dedicated to Sun God, which will be celebrated on October 27, is few days away but Indian Railways has made arrangements to operate more than 12,000 special trains countrywide.

Known by different names, such as Surya Shashti, Chhath, Chhathi, Chhath Parv, Dala Puja and Dala Chhath, it's the time Lord Surya is worshipped to seek blessings for a prosperous and progressive live. Amid expected surge in passenger traffic, Railways plans to add 8,000 more special trains in the coming days, the release from Chief Public Relations Officer in Indian Railways (CPRO) Northern Railway said.

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Discussing the measures taken by the Railways to address festive rush East Central Railway CPRO, Sarawati Chandra, said,“From the side of East Central Railway (ECR), more than 1800 special trains have been operated for Chhath Puja. Thousands of trains have been operated for Bihar by other zones.”

Suggesting that waiting halls are being constructed at stations for the convenience of passengers, he added, "Queue arrangements are being made for passengers. Considering the crowd, arrangements for additional trains are being made."

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On Tuesday, Railways Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw visited the New Delhi Railway Station for an on-ground assessment of the arrangements made.

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After reviewing the preparedness and travel arrangements he said that 12 lakh railway employees are working around the clock to ensure passengers reach their destinations safely.“So far, around 1 crore passengers have travelled on special trains,” Ashwini Vaishnaw added.

For this festive season, Central Railway added 1998 special trains while Northern Railway added 1919 trains. This follows the successful operation of 3,960 special trains before Diwali festival, between October 1 and 19.

Chhath Puja preparations in Delhi

Delhi Minister Kapil Mishra on October 21 announced a single-window clearance system for obtaining permission to host Chhath Puja. According to the art, culture and language minister, over 1,000 sites have been identified in the city for the upcoming festival, marking one of the largest arrangements made so far.

He convened a meeting with the Purvanchal Morcha to assess the preparation for the celebrations. Special preparations are being made for Chhath Puja celebration at the ghats of the Yamuna river, Dwarka, Hathi Ghat, Pitampura and Sonia Vihar, PTI reported.

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