Diwali & Chhath Puja: New Special Trains to Bihar Announced
Indian Railways has unveiled a massive plan to manage the expected passenger surge during the upcoming Diwali and Chhath Puja festive season. To ensure seamless travel, especially for those heading home to Bihar, the railway network is introducing 22 additional special trains (11 pairs) connecting major hubs across the country.
These special services will link several key locations including Hubballi, Bengaluru, Nagpur, Udhna, Amritsar, Delhi, Gorakhpur, and Tata with various destinations across Bihar to accommodate the heavy holiday traffic.
New Delhi-Patna Vande Bharat Festival Special
A major highlight of this festive announcement is the introduction of the New Delhi-Patna Vande Bharat Festival Special (No. 02252/02251). This 16-coach premium service is designed to provide high-speed connectivity during the peak travel period.
- Departure from New Delhi: The service departs at 8:35 AM, reaching Patna at 9:30 PM. It operates on October 16 and 18, and subsequently every Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday until November 25, 2026.
- Return Service: The return journey operates on October 17 and 19, and subsequently every Tuesday, Thursday, and Sunday from October 22 to November 26, 2026.
- Key Stops: The train will stop at Aligarh, Kanpur Central, Prayagraj Junction, Pandit Deendayal Upadhyaya Junction, Buxar, and Ara.
Extensive Network of Special Festive Services
Beyond the Vande Bharat, several other special routes have been notified to help passengers navigate the festive rush:
- Jayanagar-Udhna Special (No. 09074/09072)
- Amritsar-Jayanagar Special (No. 04652/04651)
- Yoganagari Rishikesh-Kolkata Special (No. 04312)
- Anand Vihar-Bhagalpur Puja Special (A daily service running through November 25, 2026)
- Hubballi-Muzaffarpur Special (No. 07315/07316)
- New Delhi-Supual Special (No. 04072/04071)
Scaling Up Operations for the Holiday Rush
The scale of operations for the festive season is immense. Between October 1 and November 30, 2026, the railway network plans to operate 3.4 lakh regular train trips. This will be bolstered by 8,454 special train trips, with Bihar alone accounting for 2,057 of these notified special services.
Central Railway has also submitted proposals for additional connectivity, including three trains from Pune and Hadapsar to Danapur, and one service from Lokmanya Tilak Terminus to Ayodhya Cantt, which are currently pending approval from the Railway Board.
Enhanced Passenger Management in Bihar
To handle the massive influx of travelers and mitigate seasonal congestion, railway authorities are implementing several ground-level measures.
East Central Railway Chief Public Relations Officer Saraswati Chandra stated that these measures are designed to mitigate seasonal congestion.
As part of the crowd management strategy, temporary passenger holding areas will be established at 15 major stations across Bihar, which are set to become operational from November 3, 2026.