Daijiworld Media Network - Mumbai

Mumbai, Oct 22: As Diwali and Chhath Puja approach, Mumbai’s major railway stations have transformed into sprawling temporary camps, with families spreading out on floors, luggage doubling as pillows, and food shared over newspapers. Stations including Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus (CSMT), Lokmanya Tilak Terminus (LTT), Dadar, Kalyan, Mumbai Central, and Bandra Terminus are witnessing an unprecedented surge of festive travelers.

Central Railway (CR) has rolled out 1,198 special trains to manage the holiday rush. “More than 70,000 passengers have used the special trains in the past five days. We have also doubled the capacity of holding areas at stations this year,” said CR General Manager Vijay Kumar. Temporary and permanent holding areas have been set up at key stations like CSMT, Kurla LTT, Dadar, and Kalyan, equipped with lighting, fans, and public announcement systems.

Western Railway (WR) is operating over 2,400 trips, with nearly 80 pairs of special trains, mostly northbound. These trips originate from Gujarat (1,586), Maharashtra (738), and Madhya Pradesh (90), including around 50 unreserved specials. Bandra Terminus alone has set up a 350-sq-m temporary holding area for 450 passengers and a 702-sq-m permanent area for 1,000 passengers. From October 15 to 21, roughly 70,000 passengers departed from the terminus alone.

At CSMT, a 1,200-sq-m holding area can accommodate over 1,000 passengers at a time, with steel barricades and benches converting the space into a temporary shelter. Similar arrangements at LTT, Dadar, and Kalyan ensure orderly queuing and shaded waiting zones for travelers heading to cities like Patna, Gorakhpur, and Varanasi.

CR has already completed 705 trips, ferrying 10.68 lakh passengers, with another 493 trips planned over the coming weeks. Most of these trains are bound for Bihar and Uttar Pradesh, making up over 85% of total festive demand. “It’s chaos, but it’s also community. Every year, Mumbai stations become temporary homes for those on their way home,” said a railway official.

Festive Travel Figures

Central Railway (as of Oct 21, 2025)

• Total trips planned: 1,998 (up and down)

• Trips completed: 705

• Trips pending: 1,293

• Passengers carried (completed trips): 10.68 lakh

• Projected passengers (pending trips): 20 lakh

• Total projected passengers: 30.68 lakh

Western Railway

• Total trips: 2,400+

• Special trains from Gujarat: 1,586

• Special trains from Maharashtra: 738

• Special trains from Madhya Pradesh: 90

• Unreserved holiday specials: 13 trains (~50 trips)

The festive season has once again turned Mumbai’s railway stations into hubs of temporary community life, with families, children, and travelers creating a unique mosaic of shared travel experiences.