By Team INVC | INVC NEWS
PRAYAGRAJ, India | September 21, 2026 — Indian Railways Festival Special Trains 2026 will provide thousands of passengers with additional travel options during Durga Puja, Diwali and Chhath as North Central Railway prepares for one of the busiest travel periods of the year.
North Central Railway has notified 1,053 special train trips for the festive season, covering major routes linking Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, West Bengal, Maharashtra, Gujarat and several other parts of the country.
The special services will operate largely between October 1 and November 30, 2026, covering a 61-day period when demand for railway tickets traditionally rises sharply.
The railway has planned these services as Trains on Demand, which means additional services may be introduced if passenger demand and waiting lists rise further.
1,053 Trips, Not 1,053 Different Trains
Passengers should understand an important distinction.
North Central Railway has announced 1,053 special train trips, not 1,053 separate train services.
The current plan involves 43 train pairs operating at different frequencies.
Some trains will operate once a week, while others will run twice, three times, four times a week or daily during specific periods.
The current services connect destinations across 13 railway zones.
Therefore, passengers searching for confirmed tickets should check individual train numbers, dates and routes rather than assuming that every special service operates daily.
Festival Special Trains Run From October 1
The main festive schedule begins on October 1, 2026.
Most services will continue through November 30, although some individual trains have operating dates extending into December.
The timing covers the major festive travel period surrounding:
Durga Puja
Dussehra
Diwali
Bhai Dooj
Chhath Puja
Passenger demand usually increases dramatically before these festivals as millions of people travel from major employment centres back to their hometowns.
The return rush after the festivals can be equally intense.
Delhi, Prayagraj and Kanpur Among Major Hubs
Several important railway hubs feature prominently in the special-train plan.
Services will connect or pass through cities and stations including:
New Delhi
Anand Vihar Terminal
Hazrat Nizamuddin
Prayagraj
Subedarganj
Kanpur Central
Govindpuri
Agra Cantonment
Virangana Lakshmibai Jhansi Junction
Gwalior
Kolkata
Pune
Hadapsar
Khajuraho
Palwal
The network also includes connections toward Bihar, Gujarat, Maharashtra, West Bengal and southern India.
This should provide additional choices for passengers struggling with long waiting lists on regular trains.
New Delhi-Howrah Special Gets Nine Trips Each Way
One of the important festival services connects New Delhi and Howrah.
Train No. 04052 New Delhi-Howrah Festival Special is scheduled to operate every Friday from October 2 to November 27.
It will make nine trips in that direction.
The return service, Train No. 04051 Howrah-New Delhi Festival Special, will operate on Sundays from October 4 to November 29.
The route provides additional capacity on one of India’s busiest long-distance railway corridors.
It connects major stations including Kanpur, Prayagraj, Buxar, Patna and Asansol before reaching Howrah.
Kanpur-New Delhi Gets Frequent Special Service
Passengers travelling between Kanpur and Delhi will also get additional options.
Train Nos. 02455 and 02456 between Kanpur and New Delhi are scheduled to operate four days a week during the notified festive period.
Under the current schedule, each direction gets 35 trips.
Another service links Kanpur with Anand Vihar Terminal three days a week.
These additional frequencies could prove particularly useful during the days immediately before and after Diwali and Chhath.
Prayagraj Gets Connections Across India
Prayagraj forms a major part of the festive special-train network.
Special services connect the city or nearby Subedarganj with destinations including:
Udhna
Sabarmati
Dadar
Indore
Veraval
Sikar
Jodhpur region
Hazrat Nizamuddin
Delhi
Southern India
Several of these trains will operate once or twice weekly.
Passengers travelling toward Gujarat and Maharashtra could particularly benefit from the additional services.
Agra-Kolkata and Jhansi-Asansol Services Added
Festival travellers heading toward West Bengal will also receive additional options.
Train Nos. 01911/01912 will operate between Agra Cantonment and Kolkata.
Meanwhile, Train Nos. 04185/04186 will connect Virangana Lakshmibai Jhansi Junction with Asansol twice a week during much of the festive period.
The latter service will provide useful connectivity across Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand and West Bengal.
More Trains Could Be Added
The current list may not be final.
North Central Railway is monitoring booking patterns and waiting lists across routes.
If demand increases sharply on a particular corridor, additional services can be planned under the Trains on Demand model.
That makes waiting-list trends especially important during the next few weeks.
Passengers who currently see long waiting lists on regular trains should therefore continue checking availability rather than assuming that no additional option will appear.
Railway Steps Up Crowd Management
Running extra trains addresses only one part of the festive-season challenge.
Major stations can experience exceptionally heavy passenger footfall during Diwali and Chhath.
North Central Railway plans additional deployment of commercial staff and Railway Protection Force personnel at stations to manage passenger movement.
Officials are also focusing on cleanliness and orderly boarding.
Crowd management becomes particularly important at stations where several long-distance trains depart within short intervals.
Passengers should reach stations with sufficient time but avoid arriving excessively early unless railway authorities advise otherwise.
Check Train Number Before Booking
Festival special trains frequently operate with different schedules, stopping patterns and fare structures compared with regular trains.
Passengers should therefore verify:
Train number
Date of journey
Boarding station
Destination
Departure time
Days of operation
Coach availability
Reservation status
They should also check whether a train uses the main city station or another terminal.
For example, Delhi-bound passengers may encounter services terminating at New Delhi, Anand Vihar Terminal or Hazrat Nizamuddin.
Similarly, Prayagraj-area services may originate from Prayagraj Junction or Subedarganj.
Do Not Depend Only on WhatsApp Timetables
Festival season often brings viral messages containing outdated train schedules.
Passengers should avoid booking travel plans solely on the basis of forwarded screenshots or social media posts.
Instead, verify the final timetable through official Indian Railways channels, NTES or the authorised ticket-booking system before leaving for the station.
Train timings and operational arrangements can change because of railway traffic requirements.
Book Early for Diwali and Chhath
Festival special trains provide additional capacity, but they do not guarantee that every passenger will receive a confirmed berth.
High-demand routes toward eastern Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and West Bengal can fill rapidly during Diwali and Chhath.
Passengers who have fixed travel dates should therefore check availability as early as possible.
Flexible travellers can also compare nearby dates and alternative terminals.
With 1,053 notified trips already planned, North Central Railway has created a sizeable additional travel network for the 2026 festive season.
And because the railway is continuing to monitor demand, that number could rise further as Durga Puja, Diwali and Chhath approach.
