New Delhi: Northern Railway has announced two reserved festival special trains between New Delhi and Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Katra to handle the expected increase in passenger traffic during the Navratri season.
The special services will operate on October 9, 10, 16 and 17, providing additional travel options for devotees heading towards the Mata Vaishno Devi shrine during the festive period, which begins on October 11.
New Delhi-Katra Special Train Schedule
According to Northern Railway, train number 04083 will leave New Delhi at 2 pm on October 9 and October 16. The train will reach Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Katra at 3 am the next day.
On the return journey, train number 04084 will depart from Katra at 10 am on October 10 and October 17. It will arrive at New Delhi at 11.30 pm on the same day.
The 655-km service will have 22 LHB coaches. The train will stop at Sonipat, Panipat, Kurukshetra, Ambala Cantt, Dhandari Kalan, Jalandhar Cantt, Pathankot Cantt, Kathua, Jammu Tawi and Udhampur.
Northern Railway also said another pair of special trains, numbered 04081/04082, is already in operation and will continue running until October 26.
Railways Advises Vaishno Devi Pilgrims to Book Early
Senior Divisional Commercial Manager, Jammu, Uchit Singhal, said the additional trains have been introduced considering the expected rise in the number of devotees travelling to Mata Vaishno Devi during the festive season.
Passengers have been advised to plan their journeys in advance and secure reservations through the IRCTC website or railway reservation counters.
The additional services are intended to provide more travel options during a period when passenger demand is expected to remain high.
102 Special Trains Announced for Dussehra and Diwali
Apart from the Vaishno Devi services, Indian Railways has announced 102 special trains to accommodate the anticipated increase in travel during Dussehra and Diwali.
These trains will operate primarily through the Solapur Division and are expected to strengthen connectivity with major destinations and hubs, including Mumbai, Chennai, Latur, Kolhapur and Kalaburagi.
The additional services are being introduced to manage the seasonal rush and provide more travel options for passengers travelling home during the holidays.
Mumbai-Chennai and Mumbai-Latur Special Services
To address passenger demand between Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu, the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus (CSMT) Mumbai-Chennai Beach Weekly Special will operate six trips. Its return service, the Chennai Beach-CSMT Mumbai Special, will also run six trips and will depart Chennai Beach at 4 am every Thursday.
For passengers travelling towards Latur, Indian Railways will operate a bi-weekly special service between Mumbai and Latur. The service will complete 13 trips in each direction.
The CSMT Mumbai-Latur Special will leave Mumbai at 12:35 am on Tuesdays and Thursdays between October 13 and November 24. It is scheduled to reach Latur at 11:40 am on the same day.
With additional services planned across several routes, the railways is preparing for the expected increase in passenger movement during the upcoming festive season.