Indian Railways announces special trains for upcoming festive season
Indian Railways is gearing up for the massive passenger rush during the upcoming festive season by rolling out comprehensive service expansions. The festive travel period covers major celebrations like Ganesh Utsav, Pitripaksha Mela, Durga Puja, Dussehra, Diwali, and Chhath Mahaparva, with operations scheduled from October through November 2026. Passengers can look forward to better connectivity and reduced waiting lists as railway zones pull out all the stops to ensure smooth journeys. Here are the key highlights of the festive season arrangements:
- The Railway Board has approved approximately 400 special train trips between October 1 and November 30, 2026.
- North Central Railway committed to increasing trips for 13 pairs of special trains.
- Eastern Railway is preparing 364 trips across 37 special trains from October 15 to November 30.
- One to two additional AC coaches will be attached to regular trains passing through or originating from Patna.
- A special 'Modi Express' service has been launched for passengers traveling to the Konkan region during Ganesh Utsav.
North Central Railway Expands Special Services
The North Central Railway (NCR) has taken significant steps to manage the festive rush. Schedules for the first 16 trains have already been finalized. Notable routes include Kanpur Central-Asarva, Prayagraj-Udhna, Prayagraj-Sabarmati, and Prayagraj-Dadar, alongside services from Subedarganj to Valsad, Udhna, Dadar, and Indore. The Prayagraj-Udhna special will operate 18 additional trips while the Kanpur Central-Asarva service will see nine trips. Furthermore, as of September 11, 2026, the NCR confirmed eight additional trips for the Kanpur Central-Kolkata special and nine for the Azamgarh-Bandra special.
Eastern and East Central Railway Preparations
Eastern Railway is making extensive arrangements under the coordination of Chief Passenger Transport Manager Anand Bardhan and Principal Chief Commercial Manager Dr. Uday Shankar Jha in Kolkata. They are preparing 364 trips across 37 special trains from October 15 to November 30. For travellers heading to the Pitripaksha Mela in Gaya, East Central Railway Chief Public Relations Officer Saraswati Chandra announced the operation of the Rani Kamlapati-Gaya special train, numbered 01661/01662.
Coach Augmentation and Special Express Trains
To further accommodate heavy passenger demand, the Railway Board will attach one to two additional AC coaches to regular trains passing through or originating from Patna. Additionally, a special 'Modi Express' service has been launched to assist passengers traveling to the Konkan region during Ganesh Utsav. These proactive measures aim to reduce long waiting lists and provide confirmed travel options for commuters across the entire railway network.