To accommodate the massive surge of devotees traveling to Baba Baidyanath Dham and Basukinath during the month-long Shravani Mela 2026, Indian Railways has launched a comprehensive special train network. The festival, which began on July 30, has seen the Eastern Railway and East Central Railway (ECR) collaborate to ensure seamless travel for thousands of pilgrims. Key highlights of the special arrangements include:
- Eastern Railway is operating 26 pairs of Shravani Mela Special trains, including nine long-distance services.
- The Jasidih section is being supported by approximately 70 pairs of regular Mail and Express trains.
- East Central Railway has deployed 12 pairs of special trains to manage the heavy passenger rush.
- New services include daily specials between Patna and Madhupur, and weekly specials between Ara and Jasidih.
Expanded Connectivity for Devotees
Recent service additions are designed to improve connectivity for pilgrims arriving from across the region. The ECR has introduced the unreserved Shravani Mela Special (03656/03655) running daily between DDU and Gaya from August 8 to August 17. Additionally, the Danapur-Bhagalpur-Danapur Special (03234/03233) is operational on August 8, 9, and 10. For passengers traveling from Howrah, a new special service (03029) to Natesar has been introduced, running from August 10, 2026, to February 8, 2027.
Operational Details and Safety Advice
Beyond these routes, the network includes a daily special service between Jasidih and Basukinath. To further boost capacity, two pairs of Mail/Express specials between Ranchi and Bhagalpur are scheduled to complete 56 trips, while 16 pairs of unreserved special trains will cater to the Bhagalpur-Deoghar corridor.
Railway officials, including Asansol Divisional Railway Manager Sangrah Maurya and ECR CPRO Saraswati Chandra, have emphasized the importance of passenger safety. Pilgrims are strongly advised to check the latest train schedules via the official IRCTC website or the NTES app and to book tickets in advance wherever applicable to avoid last-minute inconvenience. The railways remain committed to facilitating a smooth pilgrimage experience for all devotees throughout the duration of the Shravani Mela.