No more worrying about waitlists during Diwali and Chhath; Railways will now provide information on vacant seats via SMS..

Securing a confirmed ticket on regular trains from Delhi-NCR to Bihar and Uttar Pradesh during major festivals like Diwali and Chhath is a major challenge. With long waiting lists on regular trains and airfares soaring to two or three times the usual rates, lakhs of passengers pin their hopes on special trains.

However, there is no need to worry if you cannot secure a confirmed seat on regular trains. Northern Railway has introduced a unique, modern, technology-driven facility to address this issue. Under this initiative, the railway will send messages directly to passengers' mobile phones informing them about seat availability on festival special trains, enabling them to book tickets without delay.

**How ​​the Railway's Alert System Works**
During the festive season, seats often remain vacant because passengers lack timely information about special trains, or travelers are forced to scramble for 'Tatkal' tickets at the last minute. The railway has devised this strategy to tackle the problem. Over the past year, it has compiled a database of mobile numbers belonging to passengers who travel on routes connecting to Bihar and Uttar Pradesh—such as Patna, Muzaffarpur, Darbhanga, Gaya, Gorakhpur, Varanasi, and Prayagraj. Now, whenever a new special train is announced or a new coach with available seats is added to a route, passengers traveling on that specific route will receive an immediate alert via bulk SMS. Upon receiving the message, passengers can book confirmed tickets directly through the IRCTC app or at railway counters.

**Northern Railway to Operate Over 1,000 Additional Trips**
To manage the festive rush and ensure a smooth, comfortable journey for passengers, Northern Railway has significantly expanded its special train operations this year. The zone has announced approximately 1,000 trips for special trains scheduled to run from mid-October through the end of November. It is worth noting that last year, over 12,000 trips by special trains were operated across the country; Northern Railway alone ran more than 5,500 of these trips, providing over 100,000 additional seats to passengers. This figure is expected to rise further this time.

**Preparations Complete**
Himanshu Shekhar Upadhyay, Chief Public Relations Officer of Northern Railway, shared details about this new initiative, stating that making the journey easier and more comfortable for passengers traveling to Bihar and UP during the festive season is the Railway's top priority. To ensure accurate information reaches people in a timely manner, details regarding special trains will be sent directly to their mobile phones. Data on passengers who have traveled to Bihar and UP in the recent past has been compiled for this purpose, ensuring that information about available seats reaches the right passengers at the right time.

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