Travelling home this Diwali? Indian Railways launches 763 Puja special trains to handle record rush

Indian Railways has rolled out an extensive festive travel plan, announcing 763 Puja special trains that will operate 10,782 trips across multiple zones to accommodate the rising passenger demand during Diwali and Chhath.

While several of these special trains are already in operation, others are set to begin service in the coming days as bookings and demand increase.

The move aims to ensure smoother and more comfortable travel for millions heading home for the festival season. These special trains will run on both daily and weekly schedules, covering key routes between major metros and regional destinations.

Minister for Railways Ashwini Vaishnaw said the operation of these record numbers of trains was made possible due to the capacity expansion of high-density railway routes. “A record number of special trains have been arranged for Chhath and Diwali. This has been made possible by significant capacity increase. The Cabinet is regularly approving new tracks,” Vaishnaw said during his visit to New Delhi Railway Station on Saturday.

He further stated that notifications for around 10,700 train services have already been issued, while another 150 trains (approximately 2,000 services) have been designated as unreserved, taking the total number of special services to over 12,000 this year.

Highest festive load in North and East India

According to official data from the Ministry of Railways, the Northern Railway (NR) zone will manage the highest number of trips — 1,925 trips through 52 trains — followed by the East Central Railway (ECR), which will run 74 trains across 1,324 trips. Both zones serve major festive corridors across Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, and Bihar, where passenger volumes peak during this season.

The Central Railway (CR) headquartered in Mumbai will operate 68 trains for 1,299 trips, while other key contributors include the South Central Railway (SCR) with 1,015 trips, the North Western Railway (NWR) with 942 trips, and the Western Railway (WR) with 1,198 trips.

Zones such as Eastern Railway (ER), South Eastern Railway (SER), and North East Frontier Railway (NFR) have also scaled up their operations, together accounting for over 900 additional journeys. These are primarily aimed at easing the heavy rush of passengers travelling to Bihar, Jharkhand, and West Bengal.

Managing the festive surge

Officials noted that the coordinated efforts of all 17 railway zones are crucial in balancing passenger traffic between metropolitan cities and smaller towns. Many of the special services will operate with a mix of reserved and unreserved coaches, allowing travellers from all categories to benefit.

Several routes — including Puri–Patna, Bhubaneswar–Yesvantpur, Jhajha–Danapur, Howrah–Raxaul, Kanpur Central–Sir M Visvesvaraya Terminal, Charlapalli–Naharlagun, and Gorakhpur–Asansol — are already active. Tickets for these trains are available through both online booking platforms and offline railway counters.

The large-scale mobilisation reflects Railways’ preparedness to handle one of the busiest travel periods of the year, ensuring festivalgoers can reach home safely and on time.