Indian Railways keep 1000 coaches for movement of one lakh CAPF personnel

New Delhi: The Indian Railways has kept about 1000 coaches ready for the movement of about 1 lakh personnel of Central Armed Police Force to be deployed in the ensuing Bihar assembly polls.

The Election Commission of India (ECI) last Monday announced that the Bihar Assembly elections will be held in two phases on November 6 and November 11, with counting of votes scheduled for November 14. The schedule has also been planned to avoid major festivals like Diwali and Chhath, ensuring maximum voter participation.

With the majority of the paramilitary forces are coming from Jammu and Kashmir and Northeast, there will be about 70 to 80 train services with 18 coaches each will be pressed into service for the deployment across the state, sources in the railways said.

Equipped with a pantry car, the 18-coach train will have a composition of AC and non-AC Sleeper facilities.

The IRCTC, the catering arm of the railways, will be responsible for providing catering service to the paramilitary forces in the train during their journey.

The Union Home Ministry has ordered deployment of 1000 companies of the Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs) to Bihar.

The Bihar government reportedly sought that 1,800 CAPF companies be deployed to maintain law and order and ensure peaceful voting across the state’s 243 constituencies.

The 2025 Assembly elections are the first in the state after the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, which produced a final voter list of 7.43 crore electors, including 14 lakh first-time voters.

To improve the voting experience this year, polling booths will serve 1,200 voters instead of 1,500, and the total number of booths will be increased to 90,000 across the state. Additional deployment of Central Armed Police Forces will ensure security and smooth conduct of the elections.