North Central Railway increases festive special train trips from Prayagraj and Subedarganj

The North Central Railway administration has announced an increase in the number of trips for various special trains to help passengers tackle heavy festival rushes. Following media reports highlighting critical no-room conditions and extensive waiting lists ahead of the 2026 festive season, the railway zone stepped up capacity to ease congestion during Ganesh Utsav, Navratri, Dussehra, Diwali, and Chhath Puja.

Key schedule adjustments include 17 additional trips for the Prayagraj-Sabarmati special and multiple services connecting major destinations like Dadar, Veraval, Udhna, Valsad, Kolkata, and Bandra Terminus between October and November 2026.

Detailed Special Train Schedules

The Prayagraj-Sabarmati special (04179/04180) will run every Tuesday and Saturday from October 3 to November 29, totaling 17 additional trips. The Prayagraj-Dadar weekly special (04139/04140) will operate every Friday from October 2 to November 29, and the Prayagraj-Veraval service (04173/04174) will run every Thursday from October 1 to November 27, with both offering nine additional trips each. Additionally, the Prayagraj-Udhna special (04105) is scheduled for every Thursday and Sunday from October 1 to November 29.

From Subedarganj, the weekly special (04119/04120) to Valsad will operate every Saturday from October 3 to November 29, while train 04177/04178 will run every Tuesday between October 6 and November 25. Subedarganj will also serve as a transit point for the Kanpur Central-Kolkata weekly special (04157/04158), which runs from October 6 to November 25 with eight trips in each direction, and the Agra Cantt-Kolkata special (01911/01912), providing nine additional trips from October 1 to November 27. The Azamgarh-Bandra Terminus special (05183/05184) will also provide nine additional trips on Saturdays from October 3 to November 28.

Fares and Travel Peak Timelines

These 0-series special trains operate as Trains on Special Fares (TOSF). Indian Railways has implemented a mandatory 10% surcharge on Second Sitting (2S) and up to a 30% surcharge on Sleeper and AC classes above regular base fares, with all concession schemes suspended for these services.

The increased capacity is timed to manage travel demand through the major milestones of Diwali 2026, spanning from Dhanteras on November 6 through the Chhath Puja rush ending November 15, and the subsequent return traffic concluding on November 22.