Surat: With the Holi festival and summer vacations approaching, the Western Railway is preparing to manage the expected surge in passenger traffic at Surat and Udhna railway stations. The railway administration is on high alert due to ongoing construction work at Surat station, which has led to the diversion of numerous trains to Udhna.

To handle the anticipated crowds, especially on trains heading towards Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand, and Rajasthan, the railway has deployed additional security personnel. A team of 70 Railway Protection Special Force (RPSF) personnel has been stationed at Udhna railway station, along with separate teams of Railway Protection Force (RPF) personnel.

Western Railway is operating 50 holiday special trains, totaling 964 trips, with 542 trips being managed by the Mumbai division. These special trains, which include those running from Holi to the summer vacation period, will operate from Udhna. Additionally, unreserved trains like Udhna-Jaynagar will also be running.

Due to the construction of a concourse area at Surat railway station, platforms two and three are closed. As a result, approximately 180 trains have been rerouted to Udhna. The railway is making every effort to manage the crowds at Udhna.

Security has been further enhanced with 80 CCTV cameras at Surat railway station and 22 CCTV cameras at Udhna railway station.

In response to long-standing demands, the railway has added 145 general coaches to 96 trains over the past year. This initiative has benefited 2.1 million passengers.

The railway administration has implemented various measures to control the crowds at Udhna. These preparations are crucial as the station will be handling a significant number of trains during the holiday season due to the ongoing work at Surat station.