With Diwali approaching, Indian Railways has announced a series of festival special trains to handle the expected rise in passenger demand. Advance reservations are available for several of these services, giving people planning to travel to their hometowns an opportunity to book their journeys in advance.
The Southern Railway has announced a special service between Kanpur Central and SMVT Bengaluru. Train No. 04131 will depart from Kanpur Central at 4:30 pm on Sundays starting October 4. The return service, Train No. 04132, will leave SMVT Bengaluru at 7:10 am on Wednesdays from October 7.
The important stations on the route include Kanpur Central, Prayagraj, Satna, Itarsi, Nagpur, Vijayawada, Nellore, Renigunta, Katpadi, Jolarpettai, Krishnarajapuram and SMVT Bengaluru.
Northern Railway Announces Multiple Festival Specials
Northern Railway has also planned several special trains for the festive season on routes covering Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Punjab, Chandigarh, Maharashtra and other regions.
Among the announced services are trains connecting Varanasi with Delhi, Ayodhya Cantt with Anand Vihar, Chandigarh with Patna, Firozpur Cantt with Patna and Anand Vihar with Patliputra.
Varanasi-Delhi and Ayodhya-Anand Vihar Special Trains
Train Nos. 04209/04210 will operate between Varanasi Junction and Delhi Junction as a reserved Festival Special Express. The service is scheduled for 50 trips.
Train No. 04209 will leave Varanasi at 10:15 pm and reach Delhi at 1:45 pm the following day. The return service, Train No. 04210, will depart Delhi at 6:50 pm and arrive in Varanasi at 9:50 am.
The trains will operate on specified Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays from October 2 to November 27. The return service will run on specified Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays between October 3 and November 28. Passengers will have AC 2 Tier, AC 3 Tier, Sleeper and General accommodation options.
Another service, Train Nos. 04213/04214, will connect Ayodhya Cantt and Anand Vihar (T) for 36 trips. Train No. 04213 will leave Ayodhya Cantt at 6:20 pm and reach Anand Vihar at 6:10 am. In the reverse direction, Train No. 04214 will depart Anand Vihar at 9 am and arrive at Ayodhya Cantt at 10 pm.
These services will operate on specified days between October 1 and November 30.
Chandigarh, Firozpur and Other Festival Special Trains
For passengers travelling between Punjab, Chandigarh and Bihar, Train Nos. 04512/04511 will connect Chandigarh and Patna Junction. The weekly service is scheduled for 18 trips, with stops including Ambala Cantt., Saharanpur, Roorkee, Moradabad, Bareilly, Shahjehanpur, Varanasi, Pt. Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Junction, Buxar, Ara and Danapur.
Train Nos. 04616/04615 will operate between Firozpur Cantt Junction and Patna Junction for 16 trips. The route will include stops such as Moga, Ludhiana, Ambala Cantt., Saharanpur, Roorkee, Moradabad, Bareilly, Shahjehanpur, Varanasi, Pt. Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Junction, Buxar, Ara and Danapur, among others.
Northern Railway has also listed several other festival special services for the Diwali season:
- 02456/02455 New Delhi-Kanpur Central-New Delhi: 98 trips
- 04014/04013 Anand Vihar (T)-Laukaha Bazar-Anand Vihar (T): 150 trips
- 04002/04001 Hazrat Nizamuddin-Dadar-Hazrat Nizamuddin: 14 trips
- 04227/04228 Varanasi-Chandigarh-Varanasi: 36 trips
- 04008/04007 Anand Vihar (T)-Jogbani-Anand Vihar (T): 10 trips
- 04028/04027 Anand Vihar (T)-Muzaffarpur-Anand Vihar (T): 26 trips
- 04010/04009 Delhi Junction-Sitamarhi-Delhi Junction: 12 trips
- 02458/02457 Anand Vihar (T)-Kanpur Central-Anand Vihar (T): 72 trips
- 04314/04313 Yog Nagari Rishikesh-Muzaffarpur-Yog Nagari Rishikesh: 18 trips
- 04096/04095 Anand Vihar (T)-Patliputra-Anand Vihar (T): 120 trips
Passengers can check the latest train schedules, reservation details and berth availability through the official railway booking and enquiry channels. Indian Railways also provides passenger assistance through RailMadad at 139, while the NTES app can be used to access railway service information.
Disclaimer: Train schedules, routes, stoppages, timings and availability may be subject to change. Passengers should verify the latest information through official Indian Railways channels before planning their journey.