Bhubaneswar: To ensure a comfortable and hassle-free journey for devotees to Puri for the Suna Besha and Adharapana rituals of Lord Jagannath, the East Coast Railway (ECoR) is operating special trains from various parts of Odisha as well as neighbouring states.

In addition to the regular train services to and from Puri, The ECoR has arranged several special trains to facilitate the travel of thousands of pilgrims to the Holy City for the Suna Besha and Adharapana rituals.

These special services have been planned from almost all regions of Odisha, ensuring convenient connectivity for devotees visiting Puri during the festive period.

The ECoR will operate special trains from Paradeep, Angul, Bhadrak, Talcher, Kendrapara Road, Dhenkanal, Balasore, Brahmapur, Kendujhargarh,  Khurda Road and Daspalla to ferry pilgrims to Puri during the Suna Besha ritual of the ongoing Rath Yatra festival on July 25 (Saturday).

Similarly, from Puri, special trains will run to Talcher, Badampahar, Dhenkanal, Bangiriposi, Rayagada, Bhadrak, Angul, Gunupur, Rourkela, Daspalla, Sambalpur, Palasa, Visakhapatnam and Shalimar, said the ECoR)

To cater to the additional passenger rush during the Adharapana ritual on July 26 (Sunday), the ECoR will operate special trains towards Puri from Brahmapur, Daspalla, Angul, Kendujhargarh, Paradeep, Bhadrak and Khurda Road.

For the return journey, special trains will depart from Puri to Talcher, Dhenkanal, Bangiriposi, Bhadrak, Angul, Daspalla, Khurda Road, Brahmapur, Kendujhargarh and Paradeep.

To ensure seamless travel, the Ministry of Railways and the ECoR have made comprehensive arrangements for the convenience of devotees and pilgrims. A 24×7 Control Room has been established to address passenger concerns and monitor smooth train operations.

Additional ticket booking and mobile ticket counters, train enquiry and information counters, continuous public announcements, crowd management measures, video wall displays, UTS on Mobile facilities, dedicated pilgrim waiting areas, enhanced security, catering services, medical assistance with ambulances, and uninterrupted power supply, water supply, cleanliness, drinking water and adequate toilet facilities have also been provided.