Railways to Run 12,000 Special Trains for Deepavali, Chhath Travel

Indian Railways to run over 12,000 special trains for passengers during Deepavali and Chhathfestivals.

Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said that after discussions with Bihar Deputy CM Samrat Chaudhary, MP Sanjay Jaiswal, Union Minister Lalan Singh, and MP Sanjay Kumar Jha, special arrangements have been planned for Deepavali and Chhath.

“Following consultations with senior representatives, it was decided to run over 12,000 special trains for the festivals, while also ensuring smooth travel for passengers on their return journeys,” Mr. Vaishnaw stated.

Mr. Vaishnaw announced that passengers traveling onward between October 13 and 26, with return journeys from November 17 to December 1, will receive a 20% discount on return tickets.

He also said four new Amrit Bharat Express trains will be launched on the routes Gaya–Delhi, Saharsa–Amritsar, Chhapra–Delhi, and Muzaffarpur–Hyderabad. In addition, a new circuit train covering key Buddhist sites—Vaishali, Hajipur, Sonepur, Patna, Rajgir, Gaya, and Koderma, will be introduced, designed especially for middle-class families.

The Buxar–Lakhisarai section will be expanded into a four-line corridor to increase train capacity. A ring railway will be developed around Patna, and Sultanganj will be connected to Deoghar by rail. A new Patna–Ayodhyatrain service will also be introduced. Further, a washing pit facility will be built at Laukaha Bazar, along with work on several newly approved road overbridges in Bihar, the Minister added.

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