Over 1.13 Lakh Passengers Book Mumbai-Konkan Ganesh Festival Trains, Yielding Rs 7.77 Crore

Special trains running from Mumbai to the Konkan region for the upcoming Ganesh festival have recorded 1,13,428 passenger bookings, generating Rs 7.77 crore in revenue for the Railways. High passenger demand caused several services to sell out within minutes of booking windows opening, leaving many travellers on waiting lists.

To accommodate the annual festival travel surge from Mumbai and its suburbs, railway authorities have scheduled multiple special operations. Central Railway is running 200 reserved and 62 unreserved special trips between August 27 and September 26. Reserved services under Central Railway have accounted for 1,10,523 bookings, generating Rs 6.23 crore in revenue.

Western Railway has scheduled 54 reserved special trips between September 7 and September 26. Bookings on these services have reached 2,905 passengers, yielding Rs 1.54 crore in revenue.

In response to the rush, railway authorities plan to attach extra coaches to select trains to accommodate waiting-list passengers. Unreserved special trains have also been scheduled to provide travel options for those unable to secure confirmed reserved tickets.

According to a senior Central Railway official, unreserved special services were specifically arranged as an alternative for passengers without confirmed reservations.

The Railways is also putting measures in place to handle crowds at stations and along the Konkan route. Temporary reservation counters have been opened at select locations, and additional Railway Protection Force personnel and railway staff are being deployed at busy stations to manage boarding, security, cleanliness, and ticket checking.