Over 100 Special Trains, Including Vande Bharat, Announced For Bihar's Diwali And Chhath Puja Rush

Over 100 special trains, including the Vande Bharat Express, have been introduced by the Ministry of Railways to ease passenger rush and meet increased demand during Diwali and Chhath Puja.

During the festive season, many people visit or head home to Bihar for Diwali and Chhath Puja. The special trains will run from Delhi, Mumbai, Pune, Bengaluru, and other cities to various stations in Bihar.

The stations being connected include Patna, Danapur, Gaya, Sheikhpura, Muzaffarpur, Raxaul, Barauni, Saharsa, Purnia Court, Darbhanga, Bhagalpur and Madhubani.

Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw highlighted that 18,000 trains are being operated during this year's festive season, compared to 12,000 last year.

Special Trains For Chhath Puja

Saraswati Chandra, East Central Railway's (ECR) Chief Public Relations Officer (CPRO), told The Indian Express that as of November 3, the zone has announced 103 pairs of special trains that originate or terminate at its stations.

Five pairs of special trains are operating within the jurisdiction of the ECR. Fifty-one more pairs pass through various stations under the zone.

Special Vande Bharat trains will run between Delhi and Patna till the end of November. The trains will operate three times a week.

Train no. 02253, which is the Vande Bharat Special between Patna and Delhi, will operate till November 28. Service no. 02254, which runs from Delhi to Patna, will operate till November 26.
 

In view of the upcoming festivals, high speed Vande Bharat special trains will be operated between New Delhi and Patna Jn. for the convenience of passengers, the details of which are as follows. #SpecialTrains https://t.co/RucdtKYd5O

— Northern Railway (@RailwayNorthern) October 19, 2026

Four additional special trains are being deployed between North Bihar and Delhi, and nine link the region with Punjab. Eight special trains are operating between Patna and Howrah alone, with another 10 connecting North Bihar to the station.

Eleven special trains have been introduced from the ECR region to places such as Bhopal, Kota and Gwalior.

To boost connectivity between the ECR region and Mumbai and Pune for the festive season, 11 trains have been introduced. Four additional services are operating towards Ranchi, Tatanagar and Rourkela.

Also Read: Delhi's Air Quality Is Worsening: 5 Indian Places With Low AQI You Can Escape To

Security Increased At Delhi Railway Stations

The Northern Railway has strengthened security arrangements at railway stations in the national capital. A total of 2,040 Railway Protection Force (RPF) personnel have been deployed to ensure passenger safety and smooth movement at stations.

Additional security personnel have been deployed at the New Delhi, Anand Vihar, Hazrat Nizamuddin and Old Delhi stations to maintain order.

Also Read: Iconic Kalka-Shimla Heritage Route Will Soon Get A Hydrogen-Powered Toy Train