Indian Railways has unveiled a robust operational plan to support the massive influx of pilgrims traveling for the Shravani Mela 2026. To ensure seamless connectivity to Baba Baidyanath Dham, the national transporter will operate 26 pairs of special trains, supplemented by continuous MEMU services and additional temporary station halts. These services are scheduled to run between July and September 2026 to accommodate the seasonal rush of devotees.
- Eastern Railway will run daily unreserved specials from Asansol to Patna and Gorakhpur.
- South Eastern Railway has introduced temporary halts for 22 pairs of trains at Mahadevshal.
- Special services include a mix of unreserved, Sleeper, and AC-3 Tier coaches.
- Passengers are encouraged to use the UTS app to avoid long queues at station counters.
Daily Unreserved Services from Asansol
To manage the high volume of footfall, Eastern Railway is launching daily unreserved special trains starting July 29 through August 29, 2026. The Asansol-Patna Shravani Mela Special (Train No. 03511) departs daily at 4:50 PM, with the return service (Train No. 03512) leaving Patna at 1:15 AM. These trains will serve key stations including Chitranjan, Madhupur, Jasidih, and Simultala.
Furthermore, the Asansol-Gorakhpur Shravani Mela Special (Train No. 03501) will depart Asansol at 7:55 PM, while the return leg (Train No. 03502) departs Gorakhpur at 8:25 PM. These services will halt at Chitranjan, Madhupur, Jasidih, Jhajha, Kiul, and Barauni Junction.
Expanded Connectivity and Additional Routes
Beyond the daily unreserved trains, South Eastern Railway is providing temporary stoppages for 11 Express and 11 MEMU trains at Mahadevshal station from July 30 to August 28, 2026. For those traveling from Ranchi, two pairs of bi-weekly specials (08690/08689 and 08646/08645) will run to Bhagalpur via Koderma-Jamalpur-Sultanganj from July 26 to September 12, 2026, offering a mix of AC-3 Tier, Sleeper, and General coaches.
Other notable services include a weekly Danapur-Sahebganj train operating every Sunday in August and the Howrah–Nateshwar (Rajgir) Special, which will complete 38 trips between July 5 and September 29. With Jasidih serving as the primary gateway for the pilgrimage, railway authorities have deployed enhanced crowd management and security personnel to ensure passenger safety throughout the festival period.