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
NCST Holds Review Meeting with NHPC
NCST Holds Review Meeting with NHPC on Implementation of Safeguards for Scheduled Tribe Employees
MP CM Collector Award Niti Aayog
Sampurnata Abhiyan: Madhya Pradesh Leads NITI Aayog Campaign; Collectors from 8 Districts Win Gold
Mohan Yadav
MP CM Mohan Yadav Pushes for Sustainable, Community-Driven Rural Water Policy; Targets 100% Tap Coverage by March 2027
Ajay Bhadoo IAS
IAS Ajay Bhadoo Gets Extended Term as DGFT - What It Means & His Career Journey
THDCIL_Receives_ABMS_Certification_for_Integrity_and_Transparency
THDC India (THDCIL) Awarded ISO 37001:2016 Anti-Bribery Certification by BIS - Details Inside
Ministry of Environment
Environment Ministry Clarifies Petrol Vehicle Tender, Cites E-Vehicle Flexibility
Bokaro Steel Plant
PESB Selects Priya Ranjan to Head Bokaro Steel Plant, SAIL’s Key Production Unit
REC Limited wins ‘Best Design Thinking Award’ at 5th Distinguished NBFC (DNA) Awards
REC Limited Bags ‘Best Design Thinking Award’ at 5th Distinguished NBFC Awards
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Videos
Dr
Resisted Flawed Schemes, Transferred Thrice In Three Months, Found Solace In Writing
WhatsApp Image 2025-08-11 at 4.48
IAS SVR Srinivas on Mumbai Trans Harbour Link, Tough Calls, and the Real Power of IAS Officers | Video Interview
WhatsApp Image 2025-08-08 at 5.25
Dharavi Redevelopment: IAS Minds Turning 100-Year-Old Slum into a Modern City | Video Interview
ADVERTISEMENT
UPSC Stories
IAS Minnu P M
“Lazy, Sleepy, Yet Determined”: Minnu P M’s Honest Take on Cracking UPSC
Minnu PM, once a clerk in Kerala Police, cleared UPSC with AIR 150 after five years of struggle. Her...
IPS Ashish Tiwari
From IIT and Investment Banking to Public Service, Meet IPS Ashish Tiwari 
Ashish Tiwari, IIT graduate and former investment banker, chose public service over global finance. As...
WhatsApp Image 2025-08-12 at 7.27
First Attempt IRS, Fourth Attempt IPS: The Relentless Pursuit of Jitendra Kumar Yadav Who Cracked UPSC 3 Times
IPS Yadav is originally from Chhattisgarh. He was first selected for the IRS through UPSC and later for...
Social Media
Masahiro Hara
From Go Board to Global Use, How QR Codes Changed the World: IRAS Officer Ananth Rupanagudi Spotlights Masahiro Hara’s Vision
IRAS officer Ananth Rupanagudi shared a video on Masahiro Hara, the inventor of QR codes, highlighting...
IFS Susanta Nanda Video
A Mother’s Duty: Tigress Watches Over Cubs Splashing in Waterhole — Heartwarming Video Shared By Retd. IFS Officer Susanta Nanda
A tender wildlife video shared by Retd. IFS officer Susanta Nanda shows a tigress keeping watch over...
Mohanmala
Kaziranga Mourns: Beloved Elephant Mohanmala Passes Away After Five Decades of Service
Kaziranga National Park mourns the loss of Mohanmala, a beloved elephant who served over 50 years as...
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Latest
NCST Holds Review Meeting with NHPC
NCST Holds Review Meeting with NHPC on Implementation of Safeguards for Scheduled Tribe Employees
MP CM Collector Award Niti Aayog
Sampurnata Abhiyan: Madhya Pradesh Leads NITI Aayog Campaign; Collectors from 8 Districts Win Gold
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Videos
Dr
WhatsApp Image 2025-08-11 at 4.48
WhatsApp Image 2025-08-08 at 5.25
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT