Diwali-Chhath Special Trains 2026: 9 Festival Services to Start From October 1, Check Routes and Dates

Passengers planning to travel home for Diwali and Chhath Puja 2026 will have additional train options during the busy festive season. Northern Railway has announced several festival special services to handle the expected surge in passenger traffic and provide additional capacity on high-demand routes.

According to the schedule shared by the railway, the special services will begin from October 1, 2026, while several trains will continue operating through the end of November. One return service is scheduled to continue into early December.

The additional trains will benefit passengers travelling between destinations across Delhi, Punjab, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand, West Bengal, Uttarakhand and Maharashtra, among other regions.

Passengers should remember that special trains provide additional seats and berths but do not guarantee confirmed tickets. Availability will depend on demand and the booking status for each service.

Here are the nine festival special train services announced in the schedule.

New Delhi-Supaul Special: 04072/04071

The New Delhi-Supaul special train will operate daily from New Delhi between October 1 and November 28, 2026. The return service from Supaul is scheduled from October 3 to November 30.

The train will stop at several major stations, including Ghaziabad, Prayagraj, Mirzapur, Buxar, Ara, Patna, Hajipur, Barauni, Khagaria and Saharsa. A total of 118 trips are planned.

From New Delhi, the train will leave at 9:35 pm and is scheduled to reach Supaul at 6:35 am on the third day. In the return direction, it will depart Supaul at 7:45 am, with the reported New Delhi arrival time at 3 pm.

Anand Vihar-Bhagalpur Special: 04062/04061

Passengers travelling towards Bihar will also have the Anand Vihar-Bhagalpur special.

The train will operate daily from Anand Vihar between October 10 and November 25, while the return service from Bhagalpur will run from October 11 to November 26.

It will travel via important stations including Prayagraj, Pandit Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Junction, Patna, Mokama, Kiul, Jamalpur and Sultanganj. The schedule provides for 94 trips.

The train will leave Anand Vihar at 12 noon and reach Bhagalpur at 1:30 pm the following day. The return service will depart Bhagalpur at 4:30 pm and reach Anand Vihar at 8 pm the next day.

New Delhi-Howrah Special Express: 04052/04051

The New Delhi-Howrah festival special will provide another option for passengers travelling between the national capital and West Bengal.

It is scheduled to leave New Delhi every Friday from October 2 to November 27. The return service from Howrah will operate every Sunday from October 4 to November 29.

A total of 18 trips are planned.

The train will depart New Delhi at 6:15 pm and is scheduled to arrive in Howrah at 11:40 pm the following day. From Howrah, the return train will leave at 1 am and reach New Delhi at 8:20 am the next day.

Yog Nagari Rishikesh-Muzaffarpur Special: 04314/04313

The Yog Nagari Rishikesh-Muzaffarpur special is scheduled to operate from Rishikesh on Tuesdays and Thursdays between October 1 and November 29.

The return service from Muzaffarpur will operate on Wednesdays and Fridays between October 2 and November 30. The railway has scheduled 36 trips for this service.

From Rishikesh, the train will depart at 3:20 pm and arrive in Muzaffarpur at 11:45 am the following day. The return journey from Muzaffarpur is scheduled to begin at 1:15 pm.

Yog Nagari Rishikesh-Kolkata Special: 04312/04311

Another festival service will connect Rishikesh with Kolkata.

The train will depart Rishikesh every Friday from October 16 to November 20, while the return service will leave Kolkata every Sunday from October 18 to November 22.

The Rishikesh departure time is 10:20 pm, with arrival in Kolkata scheduled for 8 am on the third day. The return service will leave Kolkata at 1:55 pm.

Amritsar-Kolkata Special Express: 04624/04623

Passengers travelling from Punjab towards West Bengal will have an additional option through the Amritsar-Kolkata special express.

The service will leave Amritsar every Wednesday between October 7 and November 25. In the opposite direction, trains will depart Kolkata every Saturday from October 10 to November 28.

The Amritsar service is scheduled to leave at 8:10 pm and arrive in Kolkata at 3 pm on the third day. The return train will depart Kolkata at 9:05 pm.

Amritsar-Barauni Special Express: 04668/04667

The Amritsar-Barauni special will operate from Amritsar every Sunday between October 4 and November 29.

The return service from Barauni is scheduled every Tuesday between October 6 and December 1.

The train will leave Amritsar at 8:10 pm and is scheduled to reach Barauni at 2:10 am on the third day. On its return journey, it will depart Barauni at 5:05 am and reach Amritsar at 1:50 pm the following day.

Sultanpur-Mumbai Special: 04212/04211

Railways has also scheduled a special train between Sultanpur and Mumbai during the festive rush.

It will operate from Sultanpur every Wednesday from October 21 to November 11. The return service from Mumbai will run every Thursday from October 22 to November 12.

The train will depart Sultanpur at 4 am and arrive in Mumbai at 2 pm the next day. From Mumbai, it will leave at 3 pm and is scheduled to reach Sultanpur at 11 pm the following day.

Varanasi-Mumbai Special: 04226/04225

Passengers travelling between eastern Uttar Pradesh and Mumbai will also get a festival special service.

The Varanasi-Mumbai train will operate every Thursday from October 22 to November 12, while the return train from Mumbai is scheduled every Friday from October 23 to November 13.

It will leave Varanasi at 1:35 am and is scheduled to reach Mumbai at 2 pm the following day. The return service will depart Mumbai at 3 pm.

Check Availability Before Planning Your Journey

The additional services are expected to provide more travel options during the Diwali and Chhath rush, when regular trains on routes connecting Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Punjab and other states often see heavy demand.

However, passengers should not interpret the announcement of special trains as a guarantee of a confirmed berth. Ticket availability can change quickly depending on the route and travel date.

Before booking or travelling, passengers should verify the latest timetable, boarding station, stoppages, ticket availability and operational status through official Indian Railways or IRCTC channels, as special-train schedules can be revised for operational reasons.

Those planning to travel during the peak festive period may benefit from checking these additional services alongside regular trains while searching for available tickets.