Indian Railways Announces Special Trains for Durga Puja, Diwali, Chhath Puja 2026: Check Routes & Timings

Indian Railways is introducing special trains across several zones to manage the expected surge in passenger traffic during the upcoming festive season. Special services will connect major cities, including Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Bengaluru, Patna and Varanasi, with several destinations between October and November.

With Durga Puja, Diwali and Chhath Puja approaching, Indian Railways is planning additional train services to accommodate the seasonal rush and help passengers travel home.

Several special trains have been announced or reported across railway zones, with services connecting major metropolitan cities to destinations in Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, West Bengal, Assam and southern India.

The additional services are expected to ease congestion on regular trains during the festive period. However, the total number of special trains planned for the 2026 festive season has not yet been officially confirmed at the national level.

In 2024, Indian Railways operated 7,724 special trains between October 1 and November 30 to manage festive demand, compared with 4,429 services in the previous year.

Eastern Railway Announces Durga Puja, Diwali and Chhath Special Trains

Eastern Railway is among the zones operating additional services to meet festive travel demand, particularly on routes connecting West Bengal with Bihar and Uttar Pradesh.

According to compiled railway notices, several special trains are scheduled to operate between October 13 and November 30.
These include the Howrah-Raxaul Special (03041/03042), which will operate weekly from October 15 to November 27, and the Sealdah-Gorakhpur Special (03131/03132), scheduled to run between October 13 and November 27.

Other services include the Sealdah-Sitamarhi Special (03133/03134), Sealdah-Patna Special (03135/03136), Kolkata-Madhubani Special (03185/03186 and 03187/03188) and Asansol-Gorakhpur Special (03527/03528).

Eastern Railway is also reported to be operating a Bhagalpur-Anand Vihar Terminal Special (04061) daily from October 11 to November 26, while the Howrah-New Delhi Special (04051) is scheduled to run on selected days from October 8 to December 1.

These services are expected to provide additional connectivity to passengers travelling to Bihar, Uttar Pradesh and other destinations during the festive season.

Special Trains Between Delhi, Uttar Pradesh and Bihar

Several additional services have also been reported on routes connecting Delhi with major religious, residential and commercial destinations in northern India.

The Varanasi-Delhi Special (04209/04210) is scheduled to operate between October 2 and November 27/28, with 50 trips reported. The Ayodhya Cantt-Anand Vihar Terminal Special (04213/04214) is expected to run between October 1 and November 30, offering 36 trips.

Other services include the Delhi-Gaya Special (04063/04064), scheduled to operate between October 11 and October 26, and the Gorakhpur-Shakur Basti Special (05101/05102), which is listed to run from October 11 to November 30.

A Kanpur Central-SMVT Bengaluru Special (04131/04132) is also reported to operate weekly, connecting Uttar Pradesh with Bengaluru. The service is scheduled to depart Kanpur on Sundays and return from SMVT Bengaluru on Wednesdays, with stops at Prayagraj, Satna, Itarsi, Nagpur, Vijayawada and other stations.

Mumbai, Bengaluru and Southern India Get Additional Services

Passengers travelling from Mumbai and southern India will also have additional options during the festive season.

The Mumbai CSMT-SMVT Bengaluru Special (01013/01014) is scheduled to operate weekly from October 10 to November 22, while the Lokmanya Tilak Terminus-Varanasi Special (04225/04226) is listed to run from October 22 to November 13.

Other reported services include the Visakhapatnam-SMVT Bengaluru Special (08583/08584), operating from October 6 to November 25, and the New Tinsukia-SMVT Bengaluru Special (05951/05952), scheduled from October 8 to November 16.
Southern Railway is also operating additional services on routes such as Ernakulam-Patna, Podanur-Barauni and Thiruvananthapuram-Santragachi to cater to long-distance festive travel.

How to Check Special Train Timings and Book Tickets

Passengers planning to travel during Durga Puja, Diwali and Chhath Puja should check the latest train schedules, availability and stoppages before making travel arrangements.

Train timings and operational dates can be verified through the National Train Enquiry System (NTES) and the official IRCTC website. Passengers can use IRCTC to check seat availability and book tickets for eligible special trains.

As railway zones are announcing additional services in phases, passengers should confirm the final schedules through official railway notifications before travelling.