Indian Railways Announces 8,454 Special Trains for Diwali & Chhath
To ensure smooth travel during the upcoming festive season, Indian Railways has unveiled a massive 'Railway Mega Plan' for 2026. Aimed at managing the heavy passenger surge during Durga Puja, Diwali, and Chhath Puja, the national carrier will operate a staggering number of special services to prevent congestion and increase the availability of confirmed tickets.
Massive Boost in Train Operations
The festive mega plan is scheduled to run from October 1 to November 30, 2026. During this two-month window, Indian Railways plans to operate approximately 3.4 lakh regular train trips, which is an increase compared to the 3.3 lakh trips conducted during the same period last year.
To further accommodate the expected influx of travelers, the Railways has announced a total of 8,454 special train trips. These services are strategically distributed to prioritize the routes experiencing the highest demand.
State-Wise Special Train Allocation
The allocation of special services shows a significant focus on states with high festive migration. The breakdown of the 8,454 special trips is as follows:
- Bihar: 2,057 trips (the largest allocation)
- Uttar Pradesh: 1,056 trips
- Delhi: 975 trips
- Maharashtra: 836 trips
- West Bengal: 464 trips
These special services will connect major transit hubs and destinations, including Patna, Barauni, Danapur, Saharsa, Muzaffarpur, Howrah, Varanasi, Prayagraj, and Kanpur.
New Vande Bharat and Weekly Special Services
In addition to the massive surge in regular and special trips, several new service patterns have been introduced to enhance connectivity:
- New Delhi-Patna Vande Bharat: A special Vande Bharat service is set to launch on October 16.
- Chandigarh-Barauni Weekly Special: Trains 04536/04535 will operate weekly from October 23 to November 29.
- Additional Hub Connectivity: Eleven additional pairs of special trains will connect hubs such as Hubli, Bengaluru, Nagpur, Udhna, Amritsar, and Gorakhpur.
Zonal Updates: Northern and Central Railway
Different railway zones are implementing specific measures to handle local surges. Northern Railway has already implemented temporary extensions and extra trips for trains serving the Jammu and Ayodhya regions.
Meanwhile, Central Railway is actively monitoring the situation and has proposed four new special trains originating from Pune and Mumbai. These proposed services aim to connect passengers to key destinations like Danapur, Buxar, and Ara to further ease the festive rush.
Passengers are reminded that advance booking for these festive services opened in early September 2026, following the standard 60-day advance reservation period. With general quotas for routes heading to Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, and Jharkhand filling up rapidly, travelers are encouraged to plan their journeys well in advance.