Diwali Train Rush: Waiting List Woes May Ease As Railways Announces 100+ Special Trains
Indian Railways News: The festive season is set to bring some relief to passengers planning to travel home for Dussehra, Durga Puja, Diwali and Chhath. Indian Railways has announced more than 100 special train services between October and December, along with additional trips and extra coaches on several busy routes. For passengers who often struggle with long waiting lists during the festive rush, the additional services are aimed at easing congestion and providing more travel options. The railway arrangements cover several major routes connecting Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, West Bengal, Assam, Maharashtra, Gujarat and southern states.
More Trains From Maharashtra And Gujarat To Uttar Pradesh: Several special services have been planned between western India and major cities in Uttar Pradesh. Additional trips will operate on routes including Kanpur-Asarwa, Agra Cantt-Udhna and Agra Cantt-Asarwa, as well as Jhansi-Bandra Terminus. Additional services have also been planned on the Azamgarh-Bandra route. These services are scheduled to operate from October through the end of November, catering to passengers travelling between western India and Uttar Pradesh during the festive period.
Prayagraj, Subhedarganj Get Additional Services: Railway passengers travelling from Prayagraj and Subhedarganj towards Mumbai, Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh will also have additional options. Special and additional services have been planned on routes such as Prayagraj-Udhna, Prayagraj-Sabarmati and Subhedarganj-Panvel. Other destinations covered include Dadar, Valsad, Indore and Veraval. Some of these services will operate with up to 22 LHB coaches, increasing the available passenger capacity on routes expected to witness heavy demand.
Bihar And Purvanchal Routes Get Special Focus: The Bihar and Purvanchal sectors typically witness a significant increase in passenger traffic around Diwali and Chhath. To manage the seasonal rush, Railways has planned additional services on several routes. These include Ranchi-Anand Vihar, Mathura Junction-Patna and Prayagraj-Shakur Basti, among others. Special trains will also operate on routes connecting Howrah and Raxaul, Sealdah and Patna, Sealdah and Sitamarhi, Kolkata and Madhubani, Sealdah and Gorakhpur, and Asansol and Gorakhpur. The additional services are expected to benefit passengers travelling to Bihar and eastern Uttar Pradesh for the festive period.
More Trains For Northeast And Other Busy Routes: Passengers travelling between western India and Bihar will also get additional services, with extra trips planned between Mumbai Central and Katihar. Several special services have also been planned for the Northeast and adjoining regions, including Dibrugarh-Kolkata, Kanpur-Guwahati, Katihar-Amritsar and Santragachi-Naharlagun. Some of these trains will also have 22 coaches to accommodate more passengers.
Advance Booking Advised Ahead Of Festive Rush: With Dussehra, Durga Puja, Diwali and Chhath falling within the peak travel period, demand for confirmed railway tickets is expected to remain high on several routes. The additional services, extra trips and increased coach capacity are intended to provide passengers with more options during the October-December travel period. Passengers planning to travel home for the festivals should check the latest schedules and availability and book their tickets as early as possible to avoid last-minute waiting lists.
