South Eastern Railway runs 19 special train pairs for Durga Puja, Diwali and Chhath rush
Synopsis
South Eastern Railway has rolled out 19 pairs of festive special trains covering 344 trips ahead of Durga Puja, Diwali, and Chhath — mirroring last year's count but with 44 fewer projected trips. With 30 coaches permanently added to regular services and routes stretching from Kolkata to Mumbai, Bengaluru, and Thiruvananthapuram, this is SER's most wide-ranging festive travel push yet.
Key Takeaways
South Eastern Railway (SER) announced 19 pairs of special trains for the Durga Puja , Diwali , and Chhath festive season.
The special trains will make 344 trips in total, with departures from stations including Shalimar , Santragachi , Ranchi , and Hatia .
30 coaches have been permanently added to various regular trains to increase seating capacity.
In 2025 , SER ran the same number of special services — 19 pairs — completing 356 trips ; eight pairs were subsequently made permanent.
Officials indicated further capacity can be added if demand exceeds current arrangements.
South Eastern Railway (SER) has announced 19 pairs of special trains to manage the festive passenger rush ahead of Durga Puja, Diwali, and Chhath, collectively making 344 trips across its network during the season. The move, announced from Kolkata, is aimed at ensuring smoother travel for passengers heading to hometowns and tourist destinations across the country.
Routes and Originating Stations
The special trains will originate from key stations including Shalimar, Santragachi, Digha, Ranchi, Hatia, and Adityapur. They will run towards destinations such as Charlapalli, Visakhapatnam, Khurda Road, Ajmer, Naharlagun, Puri, Thiruvananthapuram, Malda Town, Anand Vihar, Bano, Alipurduar, Bengaluru, Mumbai, and Lucknow.
In addition, one pair of special trains operated by other zonal railways will also run through SER's network, extending the reach of the festive travel arrangement beyond the zone's own fleet.
Capacity Additions on Regular Services
Beyond the special trains, SER has permanently added 30 coaches to various regular services to bolster accommodation. 'We have also added 30 coaches permanently to various trains, further enhancing passenger-carrying capacity and strengthening the availability of accommodation on regular services,' an official said.
Officials noted that reservation data was closely studied to determine travel patterns before finalising the list of trains and routes. 'A lot of planning was involved,' the official said, adding that the analysis helped identify where passengers from specific locations wanted to travel.
How This Compares to 2025
During the 2025 festive season, SER had also operated 19 special train services, which completed 356 trips — slightly more than this year's projected count. Following that season, eight pairs of those special trains were regularised as permanent services, indicating that festive deployments can translate into long-term connectivity gains.
Additionally, 28 special trains from other zones had passed through SER's jurisdiction in 2025, and 74 coaches were augmented on a permanent basis on regular trains to address sustained demand — a benchmark that the current 30-coach addition is being measured against.
What Officials Say About Sufficiency
'These arrangements will help those travelling to tourist destinations during the festival season, as well as those returning home from their places of occupation,' the official said. The official further added: 'Hopefully, these arrangements will be sufficient. If required, further arrangements can be made depending on demand.'
The open-ended assurance signals that SER remains prepared to scale up operations should bookings surpass projections as the festival dates draw closer.
Point of View
Study demand, regularise the survivors. That formula worked in 2025, when eight pairs became permanent services. But this year's 344-trip projection is actually lower than 2025's 356, even as passenger volumes on eastern rail corridors have trended upward. The 30-coach permanent augmentation is modest compared to the 74 coaches added after the 2025 season. If SER is banking on the 'further arrangements on demand' safety valve, it needs a faster escalation mechanism — festive bookings saturate weeks in advance, leaving last-minute additions with limited practical impact.
NationPress
2 Oct 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
How many special trains has South Eastern Railway announced for the 2026 festive season?
South Eastern Railway has announced 19 pairs of special trains for the festive season, covering Durga Puja, Diwali, and Chhath. These trains will collectively make 344 trips across the SER network.
Which routes will the festive special trains cover?
The special trains will originate from stations such as Shalimar, Santragachi, Digha, Ranchi, Hatia, and Adityapur, and will run to destinations including Visakhapatnam, Puri, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Thiruvananthapuram, Lucknow, and Ajmer, among others.
How does this year's festive train plan compare to 2025?
In 2025, SER operated 19 pairs of special trains completing 356 trips. This year, the same number of pairs have been announced but with 344 projected trips. Following the 2025 season, eight pairs were regularised as permanent services.
What additional capacity has been added to regular trains?
SER has permanently added 30 coaches to various regular services to increase seating capacity. This compares to 74 coaches augmented on a permanent basis after the 2025 festive season.
Can more trains be added if demand increases?
Yes, according to a SER official, further arrangements can be made depending on demand. Officials have indicated that the current plan is designed to be sufficient but scalable if bookings exceed projections.
