NFR Chhath Puja Gift: 5 Special Trains for Bihar & Bengal
Northeast Frontier Railway announces 5 pairs of festival special trains for Chhath Puja to ease passenger rush in Bihar, Jharkhand, and West Bengal.
To manage the massive surge of passengers during the holy Chhath Puja festival, the Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR) has announced a significant boost to its services. The railway administration has decided to operate five pairs of festival special trains across various routes in Bihar, West Bengal, and Jharkhand to ensure a smooth journey for devotees.
Route Extensions and Additional Trips
As part of the festive arrangements, NFR is extending existing services and adding new trips to accommodate the heavy rush of pilgrims.
- Katihar-Araria Special (07555/07554): The existing Katihar-Purnia service has been extended to Araria. This 8-coach train will run daily from 11 to 30 November 2026. It departs Katihar at 21:30 and reaches Araria at 23:30. On the return journey, it leaves Araria at 00:15 and arrives in Katihar at 02:15. This service will complete 20 trips in each direction.
- Ranchi-Alipurduar Jn Weekly Puja Special (08661/08662): Two additional trips have been added to this weekly service. The train will depart from Ranchi on 16 and 23 November, while from Alipurduar Junction, it will depart on 18 and 25 November, following its current schedule and halts.
New Services for Katihar-Manihari Section
To assist local devotees and pilgrims, NFR is introducing two new pairs of festival special trains on the Katihar-Manihari section.
The first service, Train No. 07546/07545, is an 8-coach daily special running from 9 to 16 November. It departs Katihar at 23:15 and reaches Manihari at 00:15. The return journey departs Manihari at 02:00 and reaches Katihar at 03:00.
The second service, Train No. 07548/07547, will operate from 11 to 16 November. It departs Katihar at 10:45 and reaches Manihari at 11:45, returning from Manihari at 12:00 and arriving in Katihar at 13:00.
Additionally, to handle the overcrowding, three extra coaches are being added to the existing Katihar-Manihari-Katihar Festival Special (07540/07539).
Kolkata to New Koch Bihar Weekly Special
For passengers traveling between West Bengal and the North-East regions, the 22-coach weekly special Train No. 03125/03126 (Kolkata-New Koch Bihar-Kolkata) will run for four additional trips.
- From Kolkata: The train will depart on 14, 21, and 28 November at 23:40, arriving at New Koch Bihar the next day at 15:30.
- From New Koch Bihar: The return journey will depart on 15, 22, and 29 November at 18:30, arriving in Kolkata the next morning at 08:10.
Passengers are advised to verify train timings, halts, and schedules on the IRCTC website or NFR's official social media platforms before planning their journey.