The Mumbai to Chennai Connection
To cater to passengers travelling between Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu, Central Railway will operate weekly special AC trains between Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus (CSMT) in Mumbai and Chennai Beach. Train number 01015 is scheduled to depart from
CSMT Mumbai at 12:35 a.m. every Wednesday, starting from October 14 until November 18, 2026. It is expected to reach Chennai Beach at 11:30 p.m. on the same day. For the return journey, train number 01016 will leave Chennai Beach at 4:00 a.m. every Thursday from October 15 to November 19, arriving back at CSMT Mumbai at 4:00 a.m. the following day. These trains will make several key stops along the route, including Dadar, Thane, Pune, Solapur, Kalaburagi, Guntakal, and Renigunta.
Bridging Mumbai and Bengaluru
For those heading south to the tech hub, a weekly AC special service will connect CSMT Mumbai with SMVT Bengaluru. Train number 01013 will leave Mumbai every Saturday at 12:35 a.m. from October 10 to November 21, 2026. It is scheduled to arrive in Bengaluru at 11:55 p.m. the same day. The return train, number 01014, will depart from SMVT Bengaluru at 4:30 a.m. every Sunday between October 11 and November 22, reaching Mumbai at 4:05 a.m. the next day. This service will make seven trips in each direction and will halt at important stations such as Pune, Satara, Miraj, Belagavi, Hubballi, and Davangere, providing much-needed connectivity.
Connecting to Gorakhpur
To manage the heavy passenger traffic towards Uttar Pradesh, Indian Railways has announced daily special trains between CSMT Mumbai and Gorakhpur. Train number 01079 will depart from CSMT at 10:30 p.m. daily from October 16 to November 16, 2026, and is scheduled to arrive in Gorakhpur at 10:00 a.m. on the third day of its journey. The return service, train 01080, will leave Gorakhpur daily at 2:30 p.m. from October 18 to November 18, reaching CSMT at 12:40 a.m. on its third day. Major halts on this long-distance route include Nashik Road, Bhusaval, Itarsi, Bhopal, Jhansi, Kanpur Central, and Lucknow, ensuring comprehensive connectivity for passengers. Additionally, another daily service will run from Hadapsar near Pune to Gorakhpur.
How to Book Your Tickets
Booking for these festival special trains opened on September 27th and 28th, 2026, and demand is expected to be extremely high. Passengers are advised to book their tickets as early as possible to secure a seat. Tickets can be booked through the official IRCTC website (irctc.co.in), the IRCTC mobile app, and at all computerised reservation centres across the country. These special trains often come with special charges, which are slightly higher than regular fares. To speed up the booking process, it's recommended to have your IRCTC account details ready and use the 'Master List' feature to pre-fill passenger information. Using faster payment methods like UPI or the IRCTC e-wallet can also save crucial seconds during the booking rush.
