New Delhi-Katra Festival Special Trains Announced
To manage the massive surge in passenger traffic during the upcoming festive season, Indian Railways has announced the introduction of several new reserved festival special trains connecting New Delhi and Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Katra.
New Special Services for Festive Rush
Two new reserved special train services have been scheduled to operate between October 15 and October 21, 2026, to accommodate the high volume of travelers. The details of these new services are as follows:
- Train 04085/04086: Train 04085 will depart from New Delhi on October 15 and 17, while the return service, 04086, will depart from Katra on October 16 and 18.
- Train 04485/04486: Train 04485 is scheduled to leave New Delhi on October 18 and 20, with the return service 04486 departing Katra on October 19 and 21.
Extended Schedule for Existing Special Trains
In addition to these new services, the Northern Railway’s Jammu division has extended the operational period for the existing 04081/04082 New Delhi-Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Katra reserved special express. This extension adds 12 additional trips to the current schedule.
Under this extension, Train 04081 will run from New Delhi between October 26 and November 6, while the return service, 04082, will operate from Katra from October 27 to November 7.
"Previous special services have recorded near 100% occupancy," stated Uchit Singhal, Senior Divisional Commercial Manager for Jammu, explaining the necessity of these additional trips.
Key Stops and Booking Information
These fully reserved special trains will stop at several major stations to ensure better connectivity, including:
- Sonipat
- Panipat
- Kurukshetra
- Ambala Cantt
- Dhandari Kalan
- Jalandhar Cantt
- Pathankot Cantt
- Kathua
- Jammu Tawi
- Shahid Captain Tushar Mahajan (Udhampur)
Passengers are encouraged to book their tickets in advance through the IRCTC website or at railway reservation counters. For real-time tracking and updates, travelers can use the National Train Enquiry System (NTES) or contact the railway helpline by dialing 139.