With Diwali and Chhath Puja approaching, the demand for train tickets to Uttar Pradesh and Bihar rises sharply, making it hard for passengers to get confirmed seats.
To handle this festive rush, the Indian Railways has announced special arrangements this year.
The East Central Railway (ECR) has declared that 8 pairs of special trains will run during the festival season, and the operation period of 2 more special trains has been extended.
According to ECR CPRO Saraswati Chandra, these trains will benefit lakhs of passengers in Purvanchal and make their festive journeys more convenient.
List of Special Trains for Diwali and Chhath Puja
For long-distance passengers, several AC special trains will operate on key routes:
Rajgir–Anand Vihar–Rajgir (03221/03222): From Rajgir every Monday (Oct 13–Nov 24), and from Anand Vihar every Tuesday (Oct 14–Nov 25).
Gaya–Delhi–Gaya (03639/03640): From Gaya (Oct 12–Nov 30), and from Delhi (Oct 13–Dec 1).
Dhanbad–Delhi–Dhanbad (03309/03310): From Dhanbad every Saturday & Tuesday, and from Delhi every Sunday & Wednesday (Oct 11–Nov 30).
Lokmanya Tilak–Muzaffarpur AC Special (01043/01044): Every Tuesday & Thursday (Oct 7–Nov 13).
CSMT–Asansol AC Special (01145/01146): From Oct 6–Nov 12.
Rajkot–Baruni–Rajkot (09569/09570): From Oct 2–Nov 29.
Sabarmati–Patna–Sabarmati (09427/09428): Twice a week (Oct 1–Nov 28).
Itwari–Jaynagar–Itwari (08869/08870): From Oct 16–Nov 9.
Extension of Existing Special Trains
The validity of some trains has been extended for the convenience of passengers:
Gaya–Anand Vihar Special (02397): Every Sunday (Oct 12–Nov 30).
Anand Vihar–Gaya Special (02398): Every Monday (Oct 13–Dec 1).
Muzaffarpur–Anand Vihar Special (05283): Every Saturday & Wednesday (Oct 11–Nov 29).
Anand Vihar–Muzaffarpur Special (05284): Every Sunday & Thursday (Oct 12–Nov 30).
These additional train services will help ease festive travel for passengers heading to different states, especially Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, and surrounding regions.
