Central Railway's Major Announcement
Central Railway (CR) has taken the lead by announcing a massive 418 special train services to cater to the rush for Durga Puja, Diwali, and Chhath Puja in 2026. According to Dr. Swapnil Nila, the Chief Public Relations Officer, these trains will connect
major Mumbai terminals like Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus (CSMT) and Lokmanya Tilak Terminus (LTT) with numerous destinations. The services are scheduled primarily between October and November 2026, targeting the peak travel period. Passengers are advised that bookings for many of these trains are already open or will open shortly and can be made via the IRCTC website and official reservation counters.
High-Demand Routes to North India
A significant number of services are aimed at easing travel to Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, which see a heavy exodus of people from Mumbai during the festive season. Central Railway is running 64 daily special services between CSMT Mumbai and Gorakhpur from mid-October to mid-November. Additionally, bi-weekly services have been announced between LTT and Mau, as well as LTT and Banaras. Western Railway has also stepped in, notifying special services from Mumbai Central and Bandra Terminus to destinations like Danapur, Gorakhpur, and Bhagalpur. Bookings for these Western Railway trains began on September 28, 2026.
Connectivity to Southern States
Travellers heading south also have several new options. A weekly AC special service will operate between CSMT Mumbai and Chennai Beach on Wednesdays from October 14 to November 18. For those travelling to Karnataka, a weekly AC special will run between CSMT and SMVT Bengaluru on Saturdays from October 10 to November 21. In a major relief for passengers heading to Kerala, a weekly special service has been announced between LTT and Thiruvananthapuram North (Kochuveli), running every Thursday from October 15 to November 19 via the Konkan railway route.
Services Within Maharashtra
To cater to intra-state travel, special trains have been announced for destinations within Maharashtra. A bi-weekly special between CSMT Mumbai and Latur will run on Tuesdays and Thursdays from October 13 to November 24, completing 13 trips in each direction. This service will halt at key stations like Kalyan, Pune, Daund, and Kurduwadi. Furthermore, a weekly superfast special will run between CSMT and Nagpur on Saturdays from October 17 to November 21. Another weekly service will connect CSMT with Kolhapur every Thursday between October 15 and November 19, passing through Pune, Satara, and Miraj.
How to Book and Plan Your Travel
Bookings for most of these festive special trains opened in the last week of September. Tickets can be booked through the official IRCTC website (irctc.co.in), the RailOne mobile app, and at all computerised reservation centres. It's important to note that these trains operate with special charges, which means fares may be higher than on regular services. Given the high demand, railway authorities have urged passengers to book their tickets as early as possible and to travel only with valid confirmation to avoid any inconvenience. For real-time updates on train schedules and halts, travellers should use the NTES portal or app.
