Bhubaneswar: In a bid to ensure smooth and comfortable travel for the millions of devotees flocking to Puri for the world-famous Rath Yatra festival, East Coast Railway (ECoR) has set up dedicated pilgrim waiting areas and mela sheds with a combined capacity of around 25,000 persons.
These specially designated facilities at Puri station come equipped with covered seating arrangements, drinking water booths, modular toilets, mobile charging points, shaded rest zones, first aid and medical stations with ambulance support. Additionally, ticket counters, mobile ticketing units, Automatic Ticket Vending Machines (ATVMs), and services via the ECoR Yatra Mobile App have been arranged to facilitate seamless ticketing and crowd management.
To further support the massive influx of pilgrims, ECoR will operate a record 365 special trains connecting key locations across Odisha and neighboring states, including districts such as Rourkela, Balasore, Angul, Gunupur, Rayagada, Brahmapur, and cities in Andhra Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, West Bengal, and Maharashtra.
Special trains will also run from Visakhapatnam and Palasa in Andhra Pradesh, Jagadalpur in Chhattisgarh, Gondia in Maharashtra, and Santragachhi in West Bengal, ensuring extensive connectivity for devotees from various regions.
Railway officials have urged passengers to check train schedules and reservation availability through official platforms ahead of the festival. Detailed updates will be released closer to key events such as Gundicha Yatra, Sandhya Darshan, Bahuda Yatra, and Suna Besha to help pilgrims plan their journeys effectively.
