Varanasi: Ahead of the Pitripaksha commencing on Sept 26, the East Central Railway’s Pt Deen Dayal Upadhyay division has started preparation to ensure hassle-free movement, ticketing, reservation and crowd management.ECR’s divisional railway manager (PDDU) Uday Singh Meena said that in view of the last year’s experience of handling 15 to 20 lakh passengers, ECR stepped up preparations in Gaya district of Bihar for Pitripaksha Mela.“Ensuring complaince of the ECR GM Dimpy Garg’s directives to ensure coordination with all departments concerned for safe and convenient rail travel for pilgrims advance planning for arrangements related to ticketing, passenger amenities, security, cleanliness, crowd regulation and uninterrupted movement, and assessing resources had been done,” Meena said.To speed up ticketing, additional facilities are proposed at Gaya Junction, Vishnupad and Ramsagar Talab. The passenger reservation system at Ramsagar Talab will operate in two shifts, while support counters, mobile unreserved ticketing and an extra reservation counter at Gaya Junction are planned. Current reservation counters may function round the clock. Ten unreserved ticket counters in the main booking area and three in Delha will operate in shifts. Extra mobile ticketing machines, automatic ticket vending machines and equipment will be kept ready.Signages, announcements, waiting areas, holding spaces, drinking water, food, wheelchairs and help counters will be strengthened. Cleanliness will be monitored on platforms and circulation areas, while parcels will be cleared quickly to keep movement routes free. Ticket-checking and crowd-control staff will be deployed at entry-exit points, foot overbridges, waiting halls and platforms. CCTV surveillance will be used continuously.
