Summer travel alert: New special trains announced for Bengal

New Delhi: Indian Railways has rolled out special fare summer trains on the Malda Town–Udhna route to manage the surge in passenger traffic during the peak holiday season, officials said on Sunday.

As part of the initiative, train numbers 09033/09034 Malda Town–Udhna Summer Special will operate on a fixed schedule between April and July, covering a journey of around 38 hours. The trains will offer a mix of air-conditioned, sleeper and general class coaches to cater to diverse passenger segments.

According to the schedule, the 09033 Udhna–Malda Town Special will depart Udhna at 11 pm every Thursday from April 9 to July 23, completing 16 trips and arriving at Malda Town at 11 am on the third day.

In the return direction, the 09034 Malda Town–Udhna Special will leave Malda Town at 9:30 am every Sunday from April 12 to July 26, also running 16 trips, and is scheduled to reach Udhna at 1:20 am on the third day.

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During its journey under the Eastern Railway zone, the train will halt at key stations including New Farakka, Barharwa, Sahibganj, Kahalgaon, Bhagalpur, Sultanganj, Jamalpur and Abhaipur in both directions.

The rake composition will include General Second Class, Sleeper Class and air-conditioned coaches, ensuring options for both budget and reserved travel.

Officials said booking dates for the Malda Town–Udhna special train will be announced shortly.

In a broader push to handle the summer travel rush, Indian Railways is operating a total of 1,484 summer special train services in 2026, including 749 reserved and 735 unreserved services across major routes.

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These summer special trains will run between April and July, focusing on high-demand corridors such as Mumbai–Banaras, Delhi–Katra and Pune–Danapur, along with short- and medium-distance routes including Mumbai–Pune, Mumbai–Kolhapur and Pune–Solapur.

Long-distance connections from Mumbai to key destinations like Gorakhpur and Ballia are also part of the expanded network, aimed at easing congestion and improving passenger convenience.

Bookings for most summer special trains are available via the IRCTC website and at computerised reservation centres. Passengers are advised to check real-time updates on train schedules, routes and seat availability through the NTES App before planning their journey.

IANS