New Delhi: North Central Railway has announced plans to operate more than 1,000 special train trips during the upcoming festival season, covering Durga Puja, Diwali, and Chhath, as millions of travellers prepare to head home for the holidays.

The festival rush is one of the heaviest travel periods on the Indian Railways calendar. Trains on popular routes out of Delhi, Mumbai, and other big cities fill up months in advance, leaving thousands of passengers on waiting lists.

The additional trips are meant to absorb that surge, particularly on corridors connecting major cities with Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand, and West Bengal, where demand spikes sharply around the three festivals.

Routes and schedules to be notified

Passengers have been advised to check official routes, stoppages, and timings before making plans. Special trains are announced in phases, and their schedules, coach composition, and halts can differ from regular services on the same routes.

Bookings for special trains typically open on the IRCTC website and app alongside the regular reservation system. Travellers are encouraged to book early, as festival specials also tend to sell out quickly once announced.

Preparing for the festival rush

Indian Railways runs thousands of festival special trains every year, coordinated across zones to move the seasonal tide of passengers. Railway stations in Prayagraj, Patna, Howrah, and Varanasi usually see the heaviest crowds during this period.

Officials also step up crowd management at major stations, adding extra ticket counters, security personnel, and passenger amenities during the peak weeks. The 1,000-plus trips planned by North Central Railway alone underline the scale of the operation.

For passengers, the advice is familiar: plan early, verify the train number and route, and keep an eye on official announcements, since additional specials are often added in waves as demand becomes clearer. Railway officials say more specials could be added if waiting lists remain long, and passengers are advised to check the confirmed status of their tickets before setting out on festival journeys.