Migrant Workers’ Rush for Chhath Festival: Extra Vigil at Coimbatore, Tiruppur Railway Stations

Coimbatore: Southern Railway has stepped up arrangements across Coimbatore Junction, Tiruppur, Erode and Salem railway stations, deploying senior officers, supervisors and Railway Protection Force (RPF) personnel round the clock to manage the heavy festival Deepavali and Chhath travel rush, in addition to regular train services.

Chhath Puja, a four-day Hindu festival dedicated to the Sun God, Surya, and Chhathi Maiya, will be celebrated from November 13 to 16. Observed mainly in Bihar, Jharkhand and eastern Uttar Pradesh, the festival sees migrant workers returning to their native places to celebrate with their families.

The crowd situation is being continuously assessed, and additional special trains will be announced based on demand. Holding areas with essential amenities have been established at railway stations to provide passengers with comfortable waiting spaces and prevent congestion on platforms.

Boarding is being regulated, with unreserved ticket holders directed to designated general coaches. Passengers occupying reserved compartments with unreserved tickets are being deboarded and guided to general coaches.

The deployed personnel are monitoring crowd movement and regulating passenger boarding at Coimbatore Junction, Tiruppur, Erode and Salem railway stations. The situation is also being monitored by senior officials at the divisional and zonal levels.

However, videos showing migrant workers rushing through train doors and windows in an attempt to secure space inside overcrowded trains have been widely circulated on social media, raising concerns over passenger safety and the adequacy of crowd management arrangements.