https://indianmasterminds.com

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT

How an IRTS Officer Oversaw 337 Astha Special Trains from a Central Command Center

2016 batch IRTS officer, Siddharth Verma, was heading the Astha Command Center during the month of Astha Special Trains He is posted in Lucknow and was given one of the most difficult tasks of his service till now He communicated with all railway zones in India, and ran the All Astha Special trains efficiently, benefitting thousands of people
Indian Masterminds Stories

After the consecration of the idol of Ram Lalla in Ayodhya on 22 January, 2024 the holy city has naturally seen a huge surge in the rush of the faithful.

As an immediate fallout, the government machinery had to struggle to deal with the unprecedented crowds. And, as Indian Railways, in particular, remain the most popular mode of public transportation for the common man, trains coming in and going out of Ayodhya had to be streamlined to manage easy but disciplined travel without any untoward incident.

Railways operated Astha Special trains for pilgrims from February 5 to March 10, 2024. Devotees from all around the country traveled to Ayodhya on these trains. As it was expected that these special trains would draw large crowds, a centralized integrated command was established to supervise the trains.

2016 batch IRTS officer Siddharth Verma, who is currently posted as Divisional Commercial Manager in Northern Railways, was assigned managerial duties in this command. Under his leadership, a team worked day and night to ensure that 5 lakh devotees safely reached their homes after Darshan. The same team also helped over 5,000 people in need of various assistance, reinforcing the common man’s faith in the Railways, with their efficient managment of one of the most difficult tasks ever assigned to them.

Mr Verma (second from right) interacting with his team

ASTHA COMMAND 

Following January 22, the number of pilgrims was bound to increase. Railways ran the special trains, and a centralized command was required to oversee all train concerns. For example, when these trains reach Ayodhya, how would the pilgrims deboard, visit the temple, and return? How will all of these logistics be managed? Aside from that, it is crucial to note that everyone who visits Ayodhya comes from diverse places. So, how will they be supported during their journey? It dealt with a wide range of concerns, including language, security, and medical issues. 

So, as in charge of centralized command, Mr. Verma determined that everyone would be assisted in their regional language, making things easier for them. For this, a setup was established at the Ayodhya Dham junction, and the office was opened.

The most essential aspect here was the use of manpower and technology. Mr Verma had to decide what hardware and software would be necessary, as well as when and where the people would be deployed. Following the organizational setup, he established the communication with all railway zones.

Ram Mandir

LANGUAGE 

To ensure that the pilgrims do not encounter any language barriers, letters were addressed to all railway zones, requesting that staff and officers in their regional languages be made available from there.

These employees were assigned to duty in three shifts at the command center for 15 days, 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The center was divided into four parts to facilitate multilingual cooperation.

Employees who spoke Hindi and Punjabi were stationed in the North zone, Assamese, Oriya, and Bengali in the Eastern zone, Marathi and Gujarati in the Western zone, and Telugu, Tamil, Malayalam, and Kannada in the South zone.

Astha Special Train

PHONE NUMBERS

The call numbers for the command center were designed to be easily remembered. Mr. Verma provided a simple four-digit hotline number. There were teams accessible at the command center 24 hours a day, seven days a week, ranging from IRCTC to support staff, security, and medical teams. 

IP SOFTWARE 

To assist the passengers in time, their identity was required. So, Mr. Verma developed software that combined IRCTC with a train running system. With this IP-based software, as soon as the Aastha Control Center was called, information such as the train, location, seat number, address, and passenger age was immediately available. This made it much easier to assist them.

Mr Verma integrated the system in such a way that if passengers call ‘Railway Help Line Numbers’, then the railway officials would automatically know all the details about them.

Astha Special Train

All of the country’s divisional control rooms were joined together in a WhatsApp group. In the case of a medical emergency involving a passenger, a list of doctors from railway health units near that station was created outside of the control center.

Passengers could access information such as train delays, meals, and cleanliness using this software. All Aastha Special trains were subject to special security measures. The National Train Inquiry System did not provide information about these trains, so a separate system was created for them.

Ayodhya Dham Railway Station

HELP

From February 5 to March 10, 2024, 337 Astha Special trains run on the track that connects Ayodhya. With these trains, about 5 lakh people visited Ayodhya to worship Lord Rama. Approximately  37 trains arrived in Ayodhya from Maharashtra. 

More than 5,000 devotees from across the country called the Astha Command Center to request assistance. Railways also got thousands of phone calls as feedback to improve their services. More than 600 calls came in for medical assistance, while another 100 calls came in for security.

PM Modi also lauded the efforts of the railways for this. 

Mr Verma with Railway officials and others

WHO IS HE

Mr. Verma is originally from Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh. He graduated in Political Science (Honors) and also did Law from Lucknow University. Following that, he earned an M.Phil in Public Policy from Cambridge University. He joined the Civil Service in 2015.

He played a crucial role in safely transporting migrant workers from across the country to their destinations using Shramik Special trains, which began after Corona’s complete lockdown in May 2020.

He re-entered the spotlight in May 2022, when he questioned Rahul Gandhi at Cambridge University on his statement that “India is not a nation but a union of states.”. He claimed that India is not a nation, but rather the consequence of state negotiations.

Mr Verma at Ayodhya Dham Railway station, after the departure of last Aastha Special Train

Indian Masterminds Stories
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Related Stories
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
NEWS
ACC_Appointments Committee of Cabinet
Senior Bureaucratic Movements Cleared by ACC: Repatriations, Curtailments, and Extensions Notified
shastri-bhawan
CSS Forum Backs Officer Deepak Khoda After Suicide Attempt Over Alleged Workplace Harassment by IAS; Demands High-Level Probe in Letter to Minister
Gandhinagar: Union Jal Shakti Minister C.R
14 Million Seedlings and Counting: Gujarat’s Centres of Excellence Drive Horticulture Innovation with Global Backing
Siyan Gudis old age homes Chhattisgarh
CM Sai Announces 'Siyan Gudis' for Elderly in 4 Chhattisgarh Cities, Launches Welfare Measures on International Day of Older Persons
Sardar Patel 150th birth anniversary celebrations
Gujarat CM Reviews National Unity Day Arrangements Ahead of Sardar Patel’s 150th Birth Anniversary at Sardar Sarovar Dam
Pushkar Singh Dhami CM
Uttarakhand CM Flags Off Free Ambulance for Senior Citizens on International Day of Older Persons
KVS
Cabinet Approves 57 New Kendriya Vidyalayas Across India with ₹5862 Cr Outlay, 4600+ Jobs to Be Created
bureaucracy news
Ambica Anand Appointed Director in Ministry of Steel, Neeraj Surendran Named Deputy Secretary in MSDE
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Videos
IFS Ravikant Meena UPSC IFS
Ravikant Meena on IFS Preparation, Optionals, and Life in Forest Service
Siddhartha Saxena UPSC CAPF
How Siddhartha Saxena Cracked UPSC CAPF AIR 326 Against All Odds
Dr. S.K
Technology Meets Ecology: IFS Dr S K Srivastava’s Game-Changing Innovations in Forest Management | Eco Warrior Awards 2025 Interview
ADVERTISEMENT
UPSC Stories
UPSC Chairman Ajay Kumar Live Interaction
From Cut-off Dates to Coaching & Reforms: UPSC Chairman Ajay Kumar Assures Aspirants of Fairness, Transparency & a Future-Ready UPSC | UPSC@100
A Century of Service: The UPSC’s Landmark Year Begins. Chairman Ajay Kumar on UPSC’s Centennial: “Merit,...
Giriraj Parihar MPPSC 2024
From Constable to Deputy Collector: Giriraj Parihar’s 9-Year MPPSC Journey | Farmer’s Son, Brother to Five Sisters
From a jail guard to MPPSC 2024 Rank 8, Giriraj Parihar’s nine-year journey of self-study, hard work,...
Ankit MPPSC 2024 Rank 3
From Village Dreams to Deputy Collector’s Chair: Meet Ankit, MPPSC Rank 3 Hindi Medium Topper
Ankit, a Hindi-medium aspirant from Balaghat, secured Rank 3 in MPPSC 2024 and became Deputy Collector...
Social Media
World Rhino Day India
On World Rhino Day, IFS Officer Parveen Kaswan Shares Rare Insights - India Now Hosts 80% of the World’s One-Horned Rhinos
September 22 Marks Global Call for Rhino Conservation; India Holds 80% of World’s Greater One-Horned...
Parag Madhukar Dhakate
Relentless Rains Wreak Havoc in Dehradun: IFS officer PM Dhakate Warns Citizens Amid Flash Floods
Cloudbursts in Dehradun triggered flash floods. IFS officer Dr. PM Dhakate warned citizens to stay indoors...
Forest Guard Tiger Encounter
Tigers Clash in the Wild as Forest Guards Capture Rare Footage , Retired IFS Mohan Pargaien Posts Viral Video
Retired IFS officer Mohan Pargaien shares viral video of three tigers brawling in Ramnagar, as forest...
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Latest
ACC_Appointments Committee of Cabinet
Senior Bureaucratic Movements Cleared by ACC: Repatriations, Curtailments, and Extensions Notified
images (1)
IPS Vakul Jindal’s Fight Against Drugs in Vizianagaram
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Videos
IFS Ravikant Meena UPSC IFS
Siddhartha Saxena UPSC CAPF
Dr. S.K
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT