Railways announces over 1,100 special trains to meet Diwali and Chhath rush: know all about it

In a recent update, Central Railways has announced over 1,100 special trains to meet Diwali and Chhath Puja rush according to an official press releases from Central Railway and Southern Railway.

The series of festive travel in September will surely require more train services to meet the rush and make travel smoother and comfortable for passengers heading home. The railways will introduce Puja Special trains along with extensions of several existing services on busy routes to meet the demand. Here are the special trains:1,126 Special Trains announced Central Railway (CR) said to run some 1,126 festival special trains this year. The announcement was made on the CR’s official website which also states that this number includes 944 services already scheduled earlier, plus an additional 182 new services to meet the heightened demand.As per announcement, most of these trains will operate from Mumbai, Pune, and nearby hubs, which will connect passengers to destinations across northern and eastern India. Some of the prime routes are: Mumbai–DanapurMumbai–BanarasMumbai–MauMumbai–KarimnagarPune–AmravatiPune–SanganerBookings started from September 14, 2025, through both IRCTC online and reservation counters. Passengers have been advised to book tickets at the earliest, because of the rising demand for AC and Sleeper class coaches.

Southern Railway: Madurai–Barauni Festival Special

Southern Railway has also made an announcement which are festival special, particularly catering to passengers travelling from Tamil Nadu to Bihar for Chhath Puja.One of the major trains is the Madurai Junction–Barauni Junction Festival Special:Train No. 06059 (Madurai → Barauni): Leaves Madurai at 20:40 PM every Wednesday from September 10 to November 26, 2025. The train reaches Barauni on the fourth day, offering crucial connectivity for migrant workers and families returning home.Train No. 06060 (Barauni → Madurai): Departs Barauni at 23:00 hours every Saturday between September 13 and November 29, 2025, and arrives in Madurai in the early morning of the fourth day.LTT–Danapur Bi-Weekly Special (40 Services)Central Railway will operate a bi-weekly special service between Lokmanya Tilak Terminus (LTT) and Danapur, offering a total of 40 trips.Train No. 01017 (LTT → Danapur): This train will leave Lokmanya Tilak Terminus at 12:15 PM every Monday and Saturday from 27 September 2025 to 1 December 2025. It will reach Danapur at 22:45 PM the following day, covering the journey in just over a day. (20 services)Train No. 01018 (Danapur → LTT): In the return direction, the service will depart Danapur at 00:30 AM every Monday and Wednesday between 29 September 2025 and 3 December 2025. Arrival at Lokmanya Tilak Terminus is scheduled for 12 AM the next day. (20 services)Lokmanya Tilak Terminus (LTT) and Mau, offering 40 trips in total.Train No. 01123 (LTT → Mau): Departs LTT at 12:15 PM every Friday and Sunday from 26 September to 30 November 2025, reaching Mau at 05:35 AM on the third day. (20 services)Train No. 01124 (Mau → LTT): Departs Mau at 7:35 AM every Sunday and Tuesday between 28 September and 2 December 2025, arriving at LTT at 22:20 PM the next day. (20 services)LTT–Banaras Bi-Weekly Special (40 Services)Train No. 01051 (LTT → Banaras): Leaves LTT at 12:15 PM every Wednesday and Thursday from 24 September to 27 November 2025, reaching Banaras at 01:10 AM on the third day. (20 services)Train No. 01052 (Banaras → LTT): Departs Banaras at 06:35 AM every Friday and Saturday from 26 September to 29 November 2025, reaching LTT at 16:40 PM the following day. (20 services)LTT–Karimnagar Weekly Special (6 Services)Train No. 01067 (LTT → Karimnagar): Departs LTT at 15:30 PM every Tuesday from 23 September to 7 October 2025, arriving at Karimnagar at 08:30 AM the next day. (3 services)Train No. 01068 (Karimnagar → LTT): Leaves Karimnagar at 17:30 PM every Wednesday from 24 September to 8 October 2025, reaching LTT at 13:40 PM the next day. (3 services)Pune–Amravati Weekly Special (16 Services)

Train No. 01403 (Pune → Amravati): Leaves Pune at 19:55 PM every Tuesday from 7 October to 25 November 2025, reaching Amravati at 10:05 AM the next day. (8 services)Train No. 01404 (Amravati → Pune): Departs Amravati at 12 PM every Wednesday from 8 October to 26 November 2025, arriving in Pune at 00:15 PM the following day. (8 services)Pune–Sanganer Weekly Superfast Special (14 Services)Train No. 01405 (Pune → Sanganer): Departs Pune at 09:45 AM every Friday from 26 September to 7 November 2025, arriving Sanganer at 06:45 AM next day. (7 services)Train No. 01406 (Sanganer → Pune): Leaves Sanganer at 11:35 AM every Saturday from 27 September to 8 November 2025, reaching Pune at 09:30 AM next day. (7 services)Pune–Sanganer Bi-Weekly Special (26 Services)Train No. 01411 (Pune → Sanganer): Leaves Pune at 09:45 AM every Thursday and Sunday from 25 September to 6 November 2025, reaching Sanganer at 06:45 AM next day. (13 services)Train No. 01412 (Sanganer → Pune): Departs Sanganer at 11:35 AM every Friday and Monday from 26 September to 7 November 2025, arriving Pune at 09:30 AM next day. (13 services)Apparently Diwali and Chhath Puja are two of the major festivals celebrated in Bihar, Jharkhand, and Uttar Pradesh mostly. Trains get overcrowded and waitlists are never ending during this time of the year. So by announcing these 20 special trains and route extensions, Indian Railways hopes to manage congestion and make train travel comfortable for people.