To Tackle Festive Rush, Railways To Run Navratri Puja Special Trains From Sept 22 | Details Inside

Navratri Special Trains: With the nine-day Navratri festival set to begin on Monday, September 22, and conclude with Vijayadashami on October 2, Indian Railways announced several unreserved Navratri Puja special trains to handle the surge of devotees.

According to railway officials, these special services will run from September 22 to October 6, completing 11 trips in each direction, with an extra run on October 6 or 7, depending on the route.

The move is aimed at easing the festive rush and ensuring smoother journeys for pilgrims.

Prayagraj–Patna Navratri Special

The first train will operate between Prayagraj and Patna from September 22 to October 1, with an additional trip on October 6.

• Departure (Prayagraj): 11:15 am – Arrival (Patna): 8:15 pm
• Return (Patna): 9:00 pm – Arrival (Prayagraj): 6:20 am next day

Key halts include Naini, Meja Road, Manda Road, Vindhyachal, Mirzapur, Chunar, Pt. Deen Dayal

Upadhyay Junction, Buxar, Ara and Danapur.

Mirzapur–Lucknow (Alamnagar) Navratri Special

The second service will run between Mirzapur and Alamnagar (Lucknow) from September 22 to October 1, and again on October 6, with the return service operating from September 23 to October 2 and once more on October 7.

• Departure (Mirzapur): 4:05 pm – Arrival (Alamnagar): 11:25 pm
• Return (Alamnagar): 1:00 am – Arrival (Mirzapur): 8:00 am

This train will stop at several key stations along the route.

Navratri traditionally brings heavy passenger traffic to religious hubs across Uttar Pradesh and Bihar.

By introducing these unreserved festive trains, Indian Railways aims to reduce crowding, provide affordable travel, and ensure that devotees headed to important temples such as Vindhyachal can reach their destinations without last-minute hassles.

Further, to manage the heavy rush of devotees expected at the upcoming Navratri Mela at Maa Bamleshwari Temple in Dongargarh, Chhattisgarh, the Railways announced a series of special arrangements, including additional train services, route extensions, and temporary halts.

The fair will be held from September 22 to October 1.

As part of the plan, the Gondia–Durg–Gondia MEMU passenger train will be extended up to Raipur, leaving Raipur at 5:15 am and returning at 10:40 pm.

Similarly, the Raipur–Dongargarh MEMU passenger train will be restored and further extended to Gondia, with late-night services scheduled between Dongargarh and Gondia.

A special MEMU passenger service (06886/06885 Dongargarh–Durg–Dongargarh) will also run during the festival, departing Dongargarh at 1:00 am and returning from Durg at 2:40 am.

In addition, several long-distance express trains will make a temporary two-minute halt at Dongargarh for the convenience of devotees throughout the mela period.