Mumbai | More than 1.17 lakh passengers have booked tickets on 200 reserved special trains announced by the Central Railway to cater to the festival rush for the upcoming Ganesh Chaturthi, an official said.

The Central Railway has announced a total of 262 special train trips, including 62 unreserved services, starting September 9 to connect Mumbai, Pune, and Nagpur with various destinations in coastal Konkan and Goa, the official said on Monday.

The trains have registered bookings of 1,17,682 passengers so far, he said.

According to an official release, the special services include 200 reserved trains, including AC services and trains with air-conditioned, sleeper and general coaches, and 62 unreserved trains.

The reserved special trains include 112 services to Sawantwadi Road, 64 to Ratnagiri and 24 to Madgaon (Goa), it stated.

The Railways has also made arrangements, including additional ticket counters, holding areas at major stations, drinking water, food and toilet facilities for passengers with the help of NGOs, and queue management systems for orderly boarding, according to the release.

Additional Railway Protection Force personnel and ticket-checking staff will be deployed at key locations to ensure passenger safety and smooth movement at stations.

Passengers are advised to reach stations at least 30 minutes before departure to avoid the last-minute rush and carry valid tickets and identification documents, the release stated.