The Varanasi Railway Division is introducing QR code devices at ticket counters across several stations including Varanasi City, Ghazipur City, Mau, Azamgarh, Ballia, Siwan, Mairwa, Kaptanganj, Belthara Road, Salempur, Bhatni, Suraimanpur, and Thawe. This allows for digital payments via UPI, eliminating the need for cash transactions and increasing transparency. Previously, digital...
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payments through UPI were only available for online ticket bookings. With the introduction of QR code devices, digital payments can now be made at UTS and PRS counters for ticket bookings.

A special train service, the Ghazipur City-Udhna Special, is being introduced for passenger convenience. This train will operate between Ghazipur and Udhna on August 7th, 14th, 21st, and 28th. The train will depart from Udhna at 10:00 PM on these dates and is numbered 09061. The return train, numbered 09062, will...
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depart from Ghazipur City at 9:30 AM on August 9th, 16th, 23rd, and 30th, reaching Banaras at 11:52 AM. Earlier, a Chhapra-Udhna Special was announced but later cancelled. This new train replaces it.

Due to high demand for train tickets during the upcoming festive season, including Dussehra, Diwali, and Chhath Puja, Indian Railways has announced the operation of special trains. A train will operate between Sialdah and Vadodara every Tuesday from October 1st to November 26th, departing at 8 am from Sialdah and...
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reaching Prayagraj Junction at 11 pm. From Prayagraj Junction, the train will depart for Vadodara the next day at 8 pm. A second train will run from Vadodara to Prayagraj Junction every Thursday, departing at 4:45 pm from Vadodara and arriving at Prayagraj Junction at 10:50 am the next day. Additionally, there will be trains running between Udhana and Chhapra, departing from Udhana every Wednesday at 10:50 pm, arriving at Prayagraj Chheoki Junction the next day at 7:35 pm and reaching Chhapra the following morning at 7 am. Another train will depart from Chhapra every Friday at 10 am, reaching Prayagraj Chheoki Junction at 9:20 am and Udhana at 6:30 pm the next day. In other news, the ongoing construction work at Prayagraj Rambag Railway Station for the Maha Kumbh has been extended until August 13th, leading to the cancellation of 17 trains' stops at this station until that date. The station is undergoing construction for a new platform and development of lines 4 and 5.

A comprehensive ticket checking drive was conducted on the Varanasi-Chhapra rail section on Friday, resulting in the collection of a fine of ₹42,150 from passengers traveling without tickets. The team, consisting of Chief Commercial Inspector Vishnu Chand Meena, Belal Ahmad, and Traveling Ticket Examiners, inspected several trains including the Lucknow-Chhapra Express,...
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Tapti Ganga Express, Swatantrata Senani Express, Lichchhavi Express, Chhapra-Durg Sarnath Express, Gorakhpur-LTT Express, and LTT-Jaynagar Pawan Express. Additionally, Senior DCM Sheikh Rahman inspected passenger amenities on these trains and apprehended illegal vendors.

A group of civil society members successfully advocated for the reinstatement of the Urdu signboard at Varanasi City Railway Station. The station, known for its diverse heritage, previously had signboards in Hindi, English, and Urdu. However, after renovations, the Urdu signboard was not restored for months, leading to protests. The...
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group's memorandum addressed the lack of Urdu signage, questioning the rationale behind its exclusion and whether political motivations were involved. The Urdu board was eventually restored on July 27, 2023, highlighting the importance of Urdu's linguistic and cultural significance for a large population. This victory marked a setback for attempts to erase the shared cultural identity represented by the language.