Going home for Diwali-Chhath? Railways announces special trains, Check full schedule

With Diwali and Chhath Puja approaching, Indian Railways has announced festival special trains to ease travel rush. Like previous years, additional train services have been introduced with online and offline bookings facilities opened in advance to avoid waiting list problems.

Special train services have been announced across key routes linking north, east and south India. Southern Railway has introduced a special train between Kanpur Central and SMVT Bengaluru, while Northern Railway has scheduled several special express trains on major routes connecting Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Punjab, Chandigarh and Maharashtra.

A look at the special services, trips, dates and duration when these will operate:

Kanpur-Bengaluru special train

South Railway's special service between Kanpur Central and SMVT Bengaluru will run as train number 04131 from Kanpur Central to SMVT Bengaluru every Sunday from October 4, departing at 4.30 pm. Train number 04132 will be avilable for return journey from SMVT Bengaluru to Kanpur Central and will run every Wednesday from October 7, departing at 7.10 am.

During the journey, the train will halt at Prayagraj, Satna, Itarsi, Nagpur, Vijayawada, Nellore, Renigunta, Katpadi, Jolarpettai and Krishnarajapuram.

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North Railway has also announced special trains for routes that see the highest passenger demand during the festive period, especially for travel to North and East India.

Varanasi-Delhi special express

The Varanasi-Delhi-Varanasi Reserved Special Express (train numbers 04209 and 04210) will make a total of 50 trips. Train number 04209 will leave Varanasi at 10.15 pm and reach Delhi at 1.45 pm the next day. This service will run every Monday, Wednesday and Friday from October 2 to November 27. Train number 04210 will leave Delhi at 6.50 pm and reach Varanasi at 9.50 am the next day. It will operate every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday from October 2 to November 28. The train will have AC 2-tier, AC 3-tier, sleeper and general coaches.

Ayodhya-Delhi special train

For passengers travelling to Ayodhya and for people from Purvanchal, train numbers 04213 and 04214 will run between Ayodhya Cantt and Anand Vihar Terminal, making a total of 36 trips during the festive season. Train number 04213 will depart Ayodhya Cantt at 6.20 pm and reach Anand Vihar at 6.10 am the next day. Train number 04214 will leave Anand Vihar at 9.00 am and reach Ayodhya Cantt at 10.00 pm the same day. The service will be available on scheduled days between October 1 and November 30.

Chandigarh, Firozpur-Patna special trains

Railways has also announced special trains for Bihar residents living in Punjab and Chandigarh. The weekly Chandigarh-Patna Special (train numbers 04512 and 04511) will make 18 trips. It will run via Ambala Cantt, Saharanpur, Roorkee, Moradabad, Bareilly, Shahjahanpur, Varanasi, Pandit Deen Dayal Upadhyay Junction, Buxar, Ara and Danapur before reaching Patna.

The Firozpur Cantt-Patna Special (train numbers 04616 and 04615) will make 16 trips and will pass through Moga, Ludhiana, Ambala Cantt, Saharanpur, Moradabad, Varanasi and Buxar.

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With festival travel demand rising ahead of Diwali and Chhath Puja, Indian Railways has expanded services across several major routes. The additional trains between cities including Kanpur, Bengaluru, Delhi, Varanasi, Ayodhya, Chandigarh, Patna and other destinations are aimed at easing festive travel, while bookings and assistance facilities have already been made available.

How and where to book tickets

Passengers can book tickets through the official railway booking platform, including the IRCTC app and website, as well as reservation counters at railway stations.

For accurate information on live train status, timetables and seat availability, passengers can use the NTES app. For any inconvenience during travel or for assistance, they can contact the railway's integrated helpline number 139, also known as RailMadad.