Jun
ECoR has decided to run two hundred special trains during Nabakalebara 2015 to meet the rush of pilgrims. The trains will operate for ten days, starting to the day of the Rath Yatra to the day of Sandhya darshan.
Each train can carry more than a thousand of devotees, excluding regular travelers during peak time, the authorities said.
Earlier, 80 special trains used to run on the occasion of the festival. All the special trains will have only general class coaches.
Keeping an eye on the upcoming Nabakalebar-2015, the railways is undertaking a series of activities including construction of a large Tourist Complex for pilgrims, to be functional by end of June. The complex is being readied at a war footing. In addition, two new platforms, at Puri and Bhubaneswar would also be set up by June end.
Railways has planned to operate 50 temporary additional booking counters, free medical facilities, and catering services among others in Puri station.
Railways has also decided to build a permanent waiting room which has toilets and bathing facilities near Puri station. It can accommodate about 10,000 pilgrims, Railway officials revealed.
Railways estimate a maximum of 7 lakh devotees visiting Puri to participate in this year’s festivities via train. The majority of people will come from within a radius of 200 km from Puri, officials said.
Ambulances, closed circuit television surveillance cameras that operate round the clock, and state police, paramilitary forces and railway police personnel from Sambalpur and Waltair divisions of East Coast Railway would be deployed to maintain law & order situation, Railway authorities informed.
