Indian Railways announces festival special trains for Dussehra Diwali and Chhath Puja
Indian Railways has announced a comprehensive schedule of festival special trains to manage the anticipated surge in passenger traffic from Delhi-NCR to major cities in Uttar Pradesh and Bihar during the upcoming Dussehra, Diwali, and Chhath Puja festivities. The operation of these services, spanning from September 11 to December 7, 2026, aims to provide connectivity to destinations including Varanasi, Ayodhya, Muzaffarpur, Jogbani, Patna, and Sitamarhi. Northern Railway Headquarters issued the formal directives regarding these services on September 4, 2026, and passengers are advised to verify the latest travel details and schedules by contacting RailMadad at 139.
Key Festival Special Train Routes and Schedules
Among the key services, the Darbhanga-New Delhi-Darbhanga Special (02569/02570) will operate a combined 88 trips. Train 02569 is scheduled from November 4 to November 30, 2026, while Train 02570 will run from November 5 to December 1, 2026. Samastipur Rail Division PRO Ranjeet Kumar confirmed that these trains will adhere to established routes and stopping patterns.The New Delhi-Danapur Special (04090/04089) will complete four trips in each direction. Train 04090 departs New Delhi at 11:30 PM on Fridays, with a return service (04089) departing Danapur at 4:40 PM on Saturdays. Major stops for this service include Delhi Junction, Ghaziabad, Aligarh, Tundla, Govindpuri, Prayagraj, Pt. Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Junction, Buxar, and Ara.Additionally, the Anand Vihar Terminal-Jogbani Weekly Puja Special is set to run on Saturdays from September 20 to November 29, 2026, while the Delhi-Sitamarhi Special will conduct six trips in each direction between October 15 and November 21, 2026.