States » EastPosted at: Jun 25 2025 7:49PM


ECoR undertakes massive preparations for smooth Journey of pilgrims during Puri Car Festival

Bhubaneswar, June 25 (UNI) As the holy city of Puri gears up to host the grand Rath Yatra of Lord Jagannath, the East Coast Railway (ECoR) has launched a massive and well-coordinated initiative
to ensure the smooth travel and comfortable stay of lakhs of pilgrims expected to visit during the festival.
Puri Railway Station has been transformed into a “Spiritual Gateway” with smart services, medical preparedness, and an informed passenger management system.
ECoR General Manager Parmeshwar Funkwal today inspected the Puri Railway Station and reviewed the comprehensive arrangements made to manage the large influx of devotees. The inspection focused on passenger comfort, crowd management, infrastructure readiness, and
the use of technology to enhance the pilgrim experience.
Funkwal said ECoR is fully prepared to handle record-breaking crowds this year, with extensive infrastructure enhancements and services implemented in and around Puri Railway Station—the epicenter of activity during the Rath Yatra.
To meet the extraordinary surge in travel demand, over 365 special trains are being operated from various states including Odisha, Chhattisgarh, West Bengal, Andhra Pradesh, and Maharashtra.
ECoR has established dedicated Pilgrim Waiting Areas and Mela Sheds at Puri, accommodating nearly 20,000 pilgrims. These facilities offer covered seating zones, modular toilets, drinking water booths, mobile charging stations, shaded rest areas, and medical aid stations equipped with ambulance services.
According to ECoR sources, crowd control will be managed through Scouts & Guides, RPF/GRP personnel, dual-layer ticket checking, and strategically placed barricades.
A fully operational 24x7 Control Room at Puri has been set up, supported by Help Desks, “May I Help You” counters at key locations, real-time LED display updates, public announcements, the ECoR Yatra app, and mobile ticketing via the UTS App.
To enhance ticketing convenience, 34 booking counters have been made operational at Puri Station, along with 35 additional counters at major junctions such as Bhubaneswar, Khurda Road, Cuttack, Brahmapur, and Bhadrak.
Security measures have been significantly intensified, with RPF and GRP personnel deployed at all entry, exit, and booking zones. Over 250 CCTV cameras, drones, sniffer dogs, and fire tenders are in place, along with face recognition technology, manual frisking, and 10 entry gates featuring dual-stage ticket checks.
Special attention is being given to the elderly, women, children, and medically vulnerable passengers through the deployment of battery-operated vehicles for easy transit to platforms.
Additionally, ECoR has partnered with several NGOs to provide hygienic food and safe drinking water free of cost to pilgrims within the railway premises.
UNI DP BM
Tags: #ECoR undertakes massive preparations for smooth Journey of pilgrims during Puri Car Festival
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