Indian Railways Adds Special Trains For Festive Rush
Indian Railways is rolling out a large number of special train services to handle the expected surge in passenger traffic during Durga Puja, Diwali and Chhath Puja 2026.
Additional trains are being introduced across several railway zones, connecting major cities such as Mumbai, Delhi, Kolkata, Bengaluru, Patna and Varanasi with destinations across Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, West Bengal, Assam and other states.
The services are being scheduled mainly between October and November, when demand for long-distance tickets traditionally rises sharply.
More Than 100 Special Services Announced
The wider festive programme includes more than 100 special train services covering several important routes. These include Kanpur Central-SMVT Bengaluru, Kanpur Central-Madurai, Visakhapatnam-SMVT Bengaluru and Shalimar-Charlapalli services.
Western India is also covered, with special trains connecting destinations such as Udhna, Asarva, Valsad, Dadar and Bandra Terminus.
Many of these trains will operate on specific days rather than daily, with services continuing for several weeks during the festive period.
Mumbai Gets Special Trains Too
Passengers travelling between Mumbai and northern India will have additional options during the festive season.
A Mumbai CSMT-SMVT Bengaluru special train is scheduled to operate weekly from October 10 to November 22.
A Lokmanya Tilak Terminus-Varanasi special service is also planned between October 22 and November 13.
Other special services will connect Mumbai and Maharashtra with destinations in Bihar and Uttar Pradesh, helping passengers who may struggle to find confirmed tickets on regular trains.
Kolkata, Bihar And Uttar Pradesh Routes Expanded
Eastern Railway is also operating several festival specials.
These include Howrah-Raxaul, Sealdah-Gorakhpur, Sealdah-Sitamarhi, Sealdah-Patna, Kolkata-Madhubani and Asansol-Gorakhpur services.
Additional trains will connect Kolkata and Howrah with destinations including Mumbai, Lucknow, Agra, Kanpur, Amritsar, Dibrugarh and New Jalpaiguri.
The services are particularly important for passengers travelling home for Durga Puja, Diwali and Chhath.
Bengaluru Also Gets Additional Services
Southern destinations are not being left out of the festive plan.
Special trains are scheduled between Bengaluru and cities including Kanpur, Visakhapatnam and New Tinsukia. Additional services are also planned on routes connecting Kerala and Tamil Nadu with Bihar and West Bengal.
These trains are expected to provide extra capacity on some of the busiest long-distance corridors during the festival season.
Passengers Should Check Dates Before Booking
The special trains will not all operate throughout the entire festive period. Their frequencies and operating dates vary considerably, with some running weekly and others on selected dates.
Passengers should therefore check the latest schedule, stoppages and seat availability before making travel plans.
The railway authorities are also expected to announce additional services depending on passenger demand.
Summary
Indian Railways is operating more than 100 special train services during the Durga Puja, Diwali and Chhath Puja 2026 season to manage the expected festive rush. Major routes connecting Mumbai, Delhi, Kolkata, Bengaluru, Bihar and Uttar Pradesh are covered. Several services will run between October and November, including special trains from Mumbai to Bengaluru and Varanasi, while more services may be added based on demand.
