Due to an increased demand in train travel during the upcoming festival season, the Indian Railways is running multiple special train services across States.

Up to 150 pooja special train services have been notified till date. These services will fulfill a total of 2,024 trips cutting across States.

Over two months

Special trains will be running from September 21 to November 30 encompassing festivals of Durga Puja, Diwali and Chhath Puja. The special trains will operate primarily in northern, eastern and southern parts of the country and fulfil trips across multiple States.

Southern Railway is operating 48 special trains, which will fulfil 684 trips, primarily from Hyderabad, Secunderabad and Vijayawada. East Central Railway will run 14 trains, which will undertake 588 trips and will pass through key stations in Bihar like Patna, Gaya, Darbhanga, and Muzzafarpur. Eastern Railway will operate 24 special trains, which will undertake 198 trips from stations like Kolkata, Sealdah and Howrah.

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Western Railway will run 24 special trains and fulfil 204 trips from Mumbai, Surat and Vadodara. Southern Railway will run 10 special trains, which will undertake 66 trips from Chennai, Coimbatore and Madurai.

Also, East Coast Railway will run trips via Bhubaneswar, Puri, Sambalpur and South Eastern Railway will operate trains via Ranchi and Tatanagar.

North Central Railway will run special trains via Prayagraj and Kanpur, and Southeast Central Railway will run trips via Bilaspur and Raipur. West Central Railway will run special trains that connect key stations like Bhopal and Kota.

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For travel to and from Bihar alone, the Railways has announced operation of 12,000 train trips. “While the Railways has announced the operation of these services, it is notifying the calendar in a staggered fashion. For now the calendar consisting of 2,024 trips has been notified, including Bihar. We are updating the calendar on a regular basis after studying the demand and supply of train services in key States,” an Indian Railways spokesperson told The Hindu.

A detailed calendar of notified special trains, along with their timings, route plan and stoppages is available on the IRCTC website and at railway stations, the spokesperson further added.

The Railways has requested the travellers to book the special trains well in advance to ensure confirmed tickets.