It is good news to the passengers who use the Barauni to Saharsa special trains service in the state of Bihar, the Indian Railways has decided to extend the special train service to the line till September 30, 2025. This decision means there will be more than 52 trips running on this route, a relief to many of the commuters going on their day-to-day duties, as well as people going to the festivals and seeing their families already in the current monsoon season.
The strategic expansion is part of its plan to meet a growing number of passengers on the Barauni-Saharsa line, which is one of the busiest routes linking the northern and eastern ends of Bihar. Barauni and Saharsa are both important railway junctions in the East Central Railway zone and thus the corridor between the two serves a large cross-section of passengers, such as office-goers, students, migrant workers and tourists.
Barauni Saharsa (special train) train has been in use for many years as a possible transport facility in the areas providing accessibility among towns and closely-located villages. The original programme of this special train was to end at the end of July, but the crowds have continued, and the passengers and local authorities persisted in making demand, and the Railway Board have had to extend the continuance to the close of September.
As per the railway officials, no alteration will be made to the timetable and frequency because of the extension, and there will be no change of coaches, like a change of route or timings. The 52 new trips will be done equally in the two months to provide regular service since there is a high demand for service during the festive and harvest seasons in Bihar.
This is an initiative, along with the efforts of the Indian Railways, to maximize its connectivity and manage the passenger flow with efficiency, given that in certain states, such as Bihar, there is no other way of daily transportation besides travelling by train. The longer running is also likely to alleviate the congestion of other passenger trains plying other parallel routes, hence there will be no delays and overcrowding.
In addition, the railway executives have promised that all the normal passenger facilities will also be supported during the prolonged period. Emphasis will be placed on the fields of cleanliness, being on schedule, and proper security arrangements, especially given that monsoon conditions are a special challenge to rail workings.
There is also a request to the passengers to make bookings in advance because such long train journeys are already receiving heavy bookings due to the festivals, namely Raksha Bandhan and local fairs happening around August and September. To deal with this surge, the Railways have also increased the number of ticket counters and internet booking stations.
The move has been applauded by the local communities, representatives, and those who travel frequently, as the railways address the needs of people. To a large number of people in this belt of Bihar and more so in the outlying rural parts where transport options are few, the extended service is of great help to their freedom of movement and earning.
As the Railways track the passenger patterns, there can still be more operational decisions based on sustainability and continuous response. As of yet, extension of the special Barauni-Saharsa train even up to September is a positive move towards enhancing regional connectivity and bringing about the feel of convenience to thousands of passengers during the back-to-back routine of Bengal travels through Bihar.
