Passengers’ association demands special trains ahead of Durga Puja festivities in Assam

With Durga Puja just around the corner and thousands across Assam and the northeast planning to make their way home to be with family, the North East Railway Passengers’ Association has urged railway authorities to introduce additional special trains — both long-distance and local — to handle the surge in festive travel.The association has sent a memorandum to Union railway minister ashwini vaishnaw and Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR) general manager Chetan Kumar Srivastava on Saturday, pressing for more Puja special services so that residents working or studying outside the region can travel home comfortably during the holidays.General secretary of the association, advocate Shubhrajyoti Sarkar, said the demand covers several long-distance routes such as Silchar–Guwahati, New Tinsukia–Silchar, Sealdah–Silchar, Sealdah–Agartala, New Delhi–Guwahati, New Delhi–Agartala, and Guwahati–Dullavcherra.Additionally, the association has sought multiple local trains for the three core Puja days on busy stretches like Lumding–Guwahati, Dharmanagar–Agartala, Silchar–Dharmanagar, Silchar–Dullavcherra, Guwahati–Alipurduar, and Silchar–Bhairabi. These trains, with more stoppages, would allow villagers and small-town residents to participate in the Puja festivities without the stress of overcrowded travel.“As Durga Puja is not only a festival but an emotional homecoming for countless people, we request the intervention of the railway minister and NFR authorities to ensure smooth travel for passengers,” Sarkar said.Railway sources said the demand has been noted and discussions are underway to assess the feasibility of running additional Puja specials to meet the festive rush.