Southern Railway Special Trains to Bihar for Chhath Puja
Southern Railway introduces three special one-way trains from Tamil Nadu to Bihar to manage the Chhath Puja festival rush.
To accommodate the massive surge in passenger traffic, Southern Railway special trains Bihar services have been introduced to assist devotees during the Chhath Puja festival. These additional one-way express trains will run from Tamil Nadu to key destinations in Bihar, providing much-needed relief to travelers heading home for the festivities.
Detailed Schedule of Special Trains
The special services are scheduled to depart on Wednesday, November 11, 2026. Below are the specific timings for the new routes:
- Chennai Central–Darbhanga Express Special: This service will depart from Dr. MGR Chennai Central at 11:00 AM on November 11 and is expected to arrive in Darbhanga at 1:00 PM on the third day of the journey.
- Chennai Central–Barauni One-Way Express Special: Departing from Dr. MGR Chennai Central at 11:50 PM on November 11, this train is slated to reach Barauni at 8:00 PM on Friday.
- Podanur–Raxaul One-Way Express Special: This train is scheduled to leave Podanur at 8:20 PM on November 11, arriving in Raxaul at 12:00 PM on Saturday.
Nationwide Festive Preparations
The introduction of these services is part of a massive nationwide effort by Indian Railways to manage the seasonal surge. Over 18,000 festival special trains have been deployed across the country this season. In the Delhi region, Northern Railway is also playing a major role, operating 31 special trains on November 11 alone to facilitate travel toward Bihar and eastern Uttar Pradesh.
Enhanced Safety and Crowd Management
With the Chhath Puja festivities scheduled from November 13 to November 16, 2026, authorities have implemented stringent safety measures. Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw announced that approximately 700 AI-enabled cameras have been installed at major stations to monitor crowd density in real-time.
Furthermore, the following measures are in place to ensure passenger safety:
- 24-Hour Monitoring: A dedicated control room is actively tracking 28 major stations to manage passenger flow.
- Emergency Rakes: To address sudden spikes in passenger demand, emergency rakes have been stationed at key Delhi terminals, including Shakur Basti, Hazrat Nizamuddin, Anand Vihar, and New Delhi.