The holy city, Mahaprabhu Jagannath, Puri’s residence is ready for the Rath Yatra. This is a journey of faith for millions of devotees coming from all over the world. And Indian Railways is in the service of these pilgrims, which is facilitating its overall experience in Srikshtera Puri.The last 11 years have been historic for the railway infrastructure development of Odisha. Under the prior policy of PM Shri Narendra Modi, Odisha’s Railway Budget allocation has seen a jump of more than Rs 10,500 crore in 2025-26 compared to the annual average during 2009-14. Since 2014, more than 2,100 km of new tracks have been placed in Odisha – more than the entire rail network of Malaysia. Projects worth about Rs 73,000 crore are going on in Odisha to create new tracks. Overall 59 AMRIT stations are being developed, including 16 stations in aspirational districts. Six Vande Bharat Services covering 17 districts are operational.The most special contribution of Indian Railways for Odisha is during the Rath Yatra. Railways serve millions of Rath Yatra every year to serve pilgrims.Ease of traveling for pilgrimsRath Yatra has jumped four times in special trains in the last 11 years. A total of 1,215 train services including 850 regular and 365 special train services are being provided for Jagannath Puri this year. These services combine several districts of Odisha, including Kalahandi, Balangir, Nupada, Koraaput, Raigada, Gajapati and Dhankal and aspirational districts of internal tribal areas. The AI-based Real-Time Demand Prediction System has enabled dynamic scheduling. Ten platforms are welcoming pilgrims this year. Additional ticket counters have also been installed in Puri as well as other railway stations.A comfortable journey for a divine experienceWith the spirit of ‘Seva Parmo Dharma’, the Indian Railways ensures the dignity, comfort and safety of the pilgrims during the Rath Yatra. This year is one of the biggest feature drives for inclusive pilgrimage. The railway is ready to complete about 2 million passengers with a daily peak of 2 lakhs. A holding space has been designated with the ability to accommodate 25,000 pilgrims. Adequate arrangements have been made to provide relief from hot weather. Adequate food stalls and water booths and coolers have been arranged. Pilgrims will be served an estimated 2.5 lakh free food.Cleanliness and hygiene systems including modern jet cleaning machines and sewage suction trucks are also in place. A large pool of security personnel has been deployed to ensure the safety and safety of pilgrims. They will be supported with CCTV, drone and face recognition systems. The requirements of the reach of Divyangjan, elderly, women and medically weak pilgrims have also been taken care of. Medical booths have been installed with doctors and paramedics, ambulances and first-ed counters. This year, Indian Railways has converted the Puri station into a model of inclusive and trust-centered public service.Special Railway Jack for a special reasonA team of Indian Railways, including engineers and technicians, is also posted in the Rath Yatra. This team is responsible for ensuring the smooth movement and repair work of the chariots during the trip. The team helps in transporting a large -scale chariots to the Sri Jagannath temple from the construction site. The railway team uses special screw jack to ensure proper status, alignment and further movement of chariots on the specified path. It also helps in removing any obstacle and maintaining enough distance between chariots. The team is accompanied by chariots until the completion of the journey.Indian Railways is called the lifeline of the nation. It is committed to the service of all Indians, including pilgrims, who consider the Rath Yatra as their lifeline.(The author is the Union Minister for the Railways, Electronics and Information Technology and Information and Broadcasting,Government of India)
