Easing the Festive Travel Rush
Every year, the period between October and November sees a massive surge in travel as people journey home to celebrate with their families. To accommodate this demand and ensure smoother travel, Central Railway has introduced hundreds of special services.
These trains will operate from key Mumbai terminals like Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus (CSMT) and Lokmanya Tilak Terminus (LTT), as well as other major stations like Pune and Nagpur. The initiative aims to provide confirmed berths to as many passengers as possible, reducing the long waitlists that typically plague festive season travel.
Key Routes to North India
A significant number of services are directed towards North India, particularly Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, which see heavy passenger traffic during Diwali and Chhath Puja. Central Railway will operate 64 daily special services between CSMT Mumbai and Gorakhpur. Train 01079 will depart from CSMT at 10:30 p.m. daily from October 16 to November 16, 2026. The return service, train 01080 will leave Gorakhpur at 2:30 p.m. from October 18 to November 18. These trains will stop at major stations including Thane, Kalyan, Nashik Road, Bhusaval, Itarsi, Bhopal, Jhansi, Kanpur Central, and Lucknow, providing extensive connectivity. Additional services will also connect LTT with Varanasi and Sultanpur.
Connectivity to Southern and Central India
Travelers heading south also have new options. Central Railway has announced 12 weekly AC special services between CSMT Mumbai and Chennai Beach, running from mid-October to mid-November. For those travelling to Karnataka, 14 weekly AC special services will connect CSMT with SMVT Bengaluru. Within Maharashtra, several new routes have been added. A bi-weekly service with 26 trips will run between CSMT and Latur, operating every Tuesday and Thursday from October 13 to November 24. Additionally, weekly superfast specials will connect CSMT with Nagpur and Kolhapur.
Train Details and Operating Periods
These special trains are scheduled to run primarily between October and November 2026 to cover the entire festive period from Durga Puja through Diwali and Chhath. The services vary in frequency, with some operating daily, others bi-weekly, and many as weekly specials. For example, the CSMT-Chennai service (01015) will depart every Wednesday from October 14 to November 18, while the CSMT-Bengaluru train (01013) will run every Saturday from October 10 to November 21. Passengers are advised to check the specific dates and timings for their desired route on the official Indian Railways website, as schedules are precise and subject to change.
How to Book Your Tickets
Bookings for most of these festive special trains opened on September 27, 2026. Tickets can be booked through the official IRCTC website (irctc.co.in), the RailOne mobile application, and at all computerised Passenger Reservation System (PRS) counters. It is important to note that these special trains often have special fares, which may be higher than regular services. Given the high demand, railway authorities have urged passengers to book their tickets well in advance and to travel only with a valid, confirmed ticket to avoid any last-minute issues. For real-time updates on train running status and halt timings, travellers can use the NTES portal or the RailOne app.
