Indian Railways is set to operate over 6,000 special trains during the festive season, from October 1 to November 30, to ensure smooth travel for passengers celebrating Durga Puja, Diwali, and Chhath Puja . This marks an increase of around 25% compared to last year, when 4,429 festival special trains were run.
According to WR, out of 6000, Western Railway is running 1382 trips with 86 festival special trains, which is the highest over the entire Indian Railways. The special services will include numerous trains from Mumbai to various destinations across the country, aiming to provide a comfortable travel experience for millions.
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"During Durga Puja, Diwali and Chhath festivals, millions of passengers travel across the country. Over the next two months, these special trains will ensure passengers reach their destinations seamlessly. Last year in 2023, Indian Railways ran an impressive total of 4429 festival special trains, ensuring a comfortable travel experience for millions of passengers" said an official.
Every year, a large number of people from all over the country travel to Uttar Pradesh and Bihar for Durga Puja, Diwali and Chhath Puja. These festivals are not only of religious significance for the people of Uttar Pradesh and Bihar but also provide an important opportunity to reunite with their families. Due to the heavy rush of passengers during the festive season, most trains see their tickets go on the waiting list two to three months in advance. To address this, Indian Railways is once again operating special trains during the festival season this year.
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According to WR, this year, Western Railway has notified 86 special trains with more than 1,380 trips. Compared to last year, Western Railway has added 21 more trains with almost 270 additional trips to enhance service and meet the increased travel demand during the festive season. These trains are being run for destinations in Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, North India, West Bengal, North East, etc. 14 pairs of special trains are being run by Western Railway from Mumbai to various parts of the country. Also, to cater to the huge demand of passengers from Surat/ Udhna, 8 pairs of originating special trains are being run while 20 pairs of trains are passing through Surat/ Udhna or Bhestan. Similarly, special trains are being run from other stations in Gujarat such as Vapi, Valsad, Vadodara, Ahmedabad, Sabarmati, Hapa, Okha, Rajkot, Bhavnagar Terminus, etc as well as from Indore, Dr. Ambedkar Nagar, Ujjain in Madhya Pradesh.