Indian Railways to run 13,000 special trains this festive season
This festive season, Indian Railways is rolling out around 13,000 special trains across India between October 15 and November 15, 2025—about a 68% increase from last year (7,724 special trains in 2024).
The goal? To help everyone get home for Diwali, Chhath, and other celebrations without the usual travel chaos.
Some stations seeing increased footfalls
With nearly 12,000 trips (including both reserved and unreserved), railways expect to move up to 30 million passengers.
Some stations are seeing increased footfalls—Udhna alone had around 36,000 travelers in a single day.
Meal quality on long-distance trains getting a boost
To handle the crowds, permanent holding areas with ticket counters, washrooms, and first-aid are being set up at big stations like New Delhi and Mumbai.
Plus, meal quality on long-distance trains is getting a boost thanks to new IRCTC cloud kitchens.
If you're traveling this season or just love a good train journey story
If you're traveling this season or just love a good train journey story—these upgrades mean less hassle at crowded stations and hopefully tastier meals on board.
It's all about making your festival trips smoother this year.