Patna: Amid a surge in pilgrim footfall during the ongoing Shrawani Mela, the railways has decided to run six additional special trains originating from or passing through jurisdiction of the East Central Railway (ECR) . The move has been taken to provide convenient transportation facilities to devotees travelling from various destinations to Deoghar.ECR chief public relations officer (PRO) Saraswati Chandra said the services will operate on the Basukinath–Patna, Basukinath–Gorakhpur, Basukinath–Madhupur, Asansol–Gorakhpur, Madhupur–Narkatiaganj and Gaya–Madhupur routes. He said the move is aimed at meeting higher passenger demand and ensuring smooth movement of devotees, adding that officials have been directed to closely monitor operations so the trains run on schedule.The railways has also stressed cleanliness and onboard passenger amenities during the journey. Railway staff have been instructed to ensure regular cleaning of coaches, availability of drinking water and prompt assistance to passengers onboard, CPRO said. “The railways has also deployed additional manpower at important stations to regulate passenger movement and assist pilgrims during the mela period,” he added.
