Indian Railways to run over 12,000 special trains for festivals
Indian Railways is rolling out 1,500 special trains in just five days to help people get home for Chhath Puja and Diwali.
This is part of a bigger plan—over 12,000 special trains will run across the country from October to November 2025.
Special trains will be added on busy routes
Special trains will operate from October 1 to November 30, a big jump from last year's numbers.
Both reserved and unreserved coaches are included, with the aim of accommodating more passengers during peak travel demand.
Major rail zones are adding extra trains
Extra trains are being added on busy routes linking big cities like Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Hyderabad, and Patna.
Zones like East Central and South Central Railways are running hundreds of extra trips through key stations in Bihar and Telangana.
Central Railway, which includes major hubs such as Mumbai's CSMT and Pune, is operating over 1,700 special services.
Infrastructural upgrades at stations
With stations already seeing huge crowds (like Udhna handling over 36,000 passengers in a day), Indian Railways is stepping up crowd management with dedicated ticket counters and better boarding systems.
Passengers have noticed cleaner stations and more helpful staff—small touches that make festival travel less stressful.