Travelling by Indian Railways during the festive season is set to become slightly easier as the Moradabad Railway Division of Northern Railway steps up arrangements for Ganesh Chaturthi. Passengers heading out for the celebrations can expect better accommodation following the announcement of temporary general class coaches on multiple routes. This passenger-friendly initiative covers 16 trains or eight pairs in total and is designed to tackle the massive festive rush. The enhanced capacity will remain operational from September 12, 2026, through October 3, 2026, bringing much-needed relief to daily commuters and holiday travellers alike. Key highlights of these festive arrangements include temporary coach augmentations across prominent regional routes, benefiting passengers in Moradabad, Haridwar, Rishikesh, Chandausi, Bareilly, Aligarh, Najibabad, and Gajraula. Furthermore, nationwide preparations by Indian Railways also feature extensive special train operations by Central Railway to connect major hubs like Mumbai, Pune, and Nagpur to the Konkan region and Goa.
To ensure seamless travel during the festival, specific operational changes have been implemented across Northern Railway's Moradabad division. Passengers travelling between Haridwar and Rishikesh will benefit from
three additional general coaches attached to their trains from
September 13 to October 3, 2026. For the Rishikesh-Chandausi route,
train number 54464 will feature three additional general coaches from September 12 to October 2, 2026. Similarly, its return service,
train number 54463, will provide three additional coaches from September 13 to October 3, 2026. Additionally, four key local trains on the Bareilly-Aligarh route, specifically
train numbers 54352, 54351, 54354, and 54353, will each be equipped with two additional general coaches between September 12 and October 2, 2026. The local Ganesh Mahotsav festivities in Moradabad are officially scheduled to take place from
September 14 to September 19, 2026.
Beyond the local augmentations in Northern Railway, Indian Railways is running a massive network of festival specials. Central Railway has announced a broader initiative involving
262 special train trips, which include 200 reserved and 62 unreserved services, commencing from
September 9, 2026. These services connect key financial and cultural hubs such as Mumbai, Pune, and Nagpur directly to popular destinations in the Konkan region and Goa, with
over 1.17 lakh tickets already booked by eager travellers. Moreover, Central Railway is operating
34 additional trains for the festival, featuring
four reserved services between Lokmanya Tilak Terminus and Madgaon alongside
30 unreserved MEMU services between Panvel and Chiplun. Booking facilities for these additional holiday services officially opened to the public on
September 8, 2026.
