ECR GM Dimpy Garg Inspects Patna Junction, Five Samastipur Division Stations Ahead Of Post-Chhath Rush

Ahead of the post-Chhath passenger surge, East Central Railway general manager Dimpy Garg inspected Patna Junction and five stations in the Samastipur division on Friday. The Times of India reported that the review focused on holding areas and how passengers would move before boarding.

Garg visited Jayanagar, Samastipur, Darbhanga, Saharsa and Jhanjharpur stations before arriving at Patna Junction. The emphasis was on crowd-control arrangements and steps to keep platforms from becoming overcrowded during the festival rush.

Holding Area Plans

Patna Junction will have the biggest holding space, with room for around 4,000 passengers, ECR chief public relations officer Saraswati Chandra said.

Muzaffarpur and Gaya stations will each be able to hold 3,000 passengers, while Patliputra Junction will have space for about 2,500.

Danapur, Darbhanga, Rajendra Nagar Terminal and Samastipur stations will each have holding areas for 2,000 passengers. Together, the eight major stations will be able to hold about 20,500 people at once. The areas are being fitted with UTS counters, train information screens and May I Help You booths.

Entry Rules And Safety

Chandra told The Times of India, “Passengers will be allowed to enter station premises only 30 minutes before the scheduled arrival of their trains. The system is aimed at ensuring smooth passenger movement and preventing any untoward incident due to overcrowding during the festive rush.”

The post-Chhath return rush remains the main concern, with large numbers of people from Bihar heading back after celebrating with family. Chandra said the railway administration is putting in extra arrangements so boarding does not become difficult. He also said the holding areas are meant to regulate movement and keep crowds off platforms and out of station premises.

The inspection also came against the backdrop of measures ECR had announced earlier for the Chhath rush. In a separate report published by The Times of India on November 11, 2026, the railway said two more Railway Protection Special Force companies had been sent to vulnerable spots across its five divisions.

It also said a war room at Hajipur headquarters would use station CCTV feeds for live monitoring and coordinate with divisional officials. RPF personnel were to stay on duty around the clock at major stations.

It said Quick Response and disaster-management teams would be stationed at busy locations, and ECR said wheelchairs, stretchers and first-aid boxes would be available for medical emergencies. Those measures applied across the zone and were not first announced during Friday's inspection.