18,000 Special Trains for Diwali & Chhath Puja Rush!
Indian Railways to run 18,000 special trains for Diwali and Chhath Puja. Check routes for Bihar, UP, and more to plan your festive journey.
Indian Railways is gearing up for a massive festive surge by announcing the operation of 18,000 special trains between November 1 and December 30. This massive deployment aims to accommodate the heavy influx of passengers traveling home for Diwali and Chhath Puja.
A Significant Increase in Services
The scale of operations this year is significantly higher than the previous year, where 12,000 special services were operated during the same period. To meet the immediate demand, approximately 1,500 special trains are set to be deployed within the next four days.
High-Tech Crowd Management
To manage the anticipated rush, Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw conducted a high-level review from the 'war room' at Rail Bhawan. The railways are implementing several advanced measures to ensure passenger safety and comfort:
- AI Monitoring: 700 artificial intelligence-based cameras have been deployed to monitor crowd movements in real-time.
- Holding Areas: Special 'holding areas' have been established at roughly 20 major railway stations in Delhi to manage passenger flow.
- Enhanced Infrastructure: Extra ticket counters, dedicated help desks, and medical teams have been stationed across major hubs.
Key Routes and Connectivity
The special train network is designed to connect major metropolitan hubs with high-demand destinations in Bihar and Uttar Pradesh. Key connections include:
- Major Hubs: Delhi, NCR, Punjab (Jalandhar, Firozpur), Gujarat (Udhana), Mumbai, Pune, Bengaluru, and Madhya Pradesh.
- Bihar Destinations: Patna, Gaya, Muzaffarpur, Darbhanga, and Chhapra.
- Uttar Pradesh Destinations: Gorakhpur, Kanpur, Lucknow, and Aligarh.
Specific high-demand routes such as New Delhi-Gorakhpur, Anand Vihar-Chhapra, and New Delhi-Gaya are scheduled to operate through the end of November. Additionally, 15 pairs of special trains will serve routes between Punjab and Bihar, while unreserved services will connect Kolkata and Sealdah to Gorakhpur, Ballia, and Jaynagar.
More Seats for Passengers
To maximize accessibility, the ministry is running both reserved and unreserved special trains. Furthermore, additional coaches—particularly AC coaches—are being attached to trains on high-demand routes to increase the availability of confirmed seats.
Passengers are advised to verify real-time train schedules, stoppages, and status via the official IRCTC website, mobile application, or the NTES portal, as timings may be subject to change.