NEW DELHI (Metro Rail News): Indian Railways is operating over 18,000 special trains this festive season, up from about 12,000 last year, and has installed around 700 AI-enabled cameras to manage crowds at major stations during the Diwali and Chhath Puja rush. Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw announced the figures on Saturday, 7 November 2026, after reviewing preparedness at the Railway Board war room in Rail Bhawan, New Delhi Railway Station and Anand Vihar Terminal.
| Key figure | Value |
| Festive special trains, 2026 | 18,000 (about 12,000 last year) |
| AI-enabled cameras installed | Around 700 |
| Special trains, last financial year | 75,000 |
| Special trains, this financial year | Expected to exceed 80,000 |
“During the current peak festive season, we have deployed 18,000 special trains, an increase from the 12,000 operated last year,” the minister said. The increase works out to roughly 50 per cent.
AI Cameras and a 24-Hour War Room
“Around 700 AI cameras have also been installed,” Vaishnaw said, describing the technology as part of a wider effort to make station operations safer and more efficient during peak travel. The Ministry of Railways said the cameras have been deployed at railway stations along with large passenger holding areas at major terminals.
The Railway Board war room runs round the clock, with Railway Protection Force (RPF) personnel and officials from the operations, mechanical and electrical departments stationed there to track crowd levels and train movements. Reports said the war room is monitoring 28 major stations. In Delhi, special rakes have been kept on standby at Shakur Basti, Hazrat Nizamuddin, Anand Vihar Terminal and the New Delhi station area so that extra services can be run at short notice.
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Stations are also being equipped with dedicated ticketing arrangements, baggage screening, drinking water facilities and clean washrooms. Railways has asked passengers to reach stations early, follow announcements and use the designated holding areas.
The minister also said FIRs are being registered against those circulating old videos on social media to show crowd chaos at stations. “Even today, on the occasion of Chhoti Diwali, the traffic situation across all locations has already returned to normal,” he said.
80,000 Special Trains Expected This Year
Vaishnaw said Indian Railways ran 75,000 special trains in the last financial year and that the number will cross 80,000 this year.
Linking peak-season pressure to the combined load of freight, especially coal, and passenger traffic on trunk routes, the minister pointed to the plan announced in August to four-track seven high-density corridors covering nearly 11,000 km. These routes, Delhi-Howrah, Howrah-Chennai, Chennai-Mumbai, Mumbai-Delhi, Delhi-Chennai, Mumbai-Howrah and Delhi-Guwahati, make up about 16 per cent of the network but carry around 41 per cent of its traffic.
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