Indian Railways to Operate 12,000 Special Festival Trains for Diwali and Chhath

Indian Railways will run 12,000 special trains for Diwali and Chhath Puja this year. Railways Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said the number is higher than last year, when 7,724 trains were operated during the festive season.

Timeline and Numbers

The additional services will run between October 1 and November 15, 2025. So far, about 10,000 trains have been notified.. Around 150 trains will be completely unreserved to serve last-minute passengers.

Officials said the busiest period is expected from October 15, 2025, to the second week of November 2025. The special services are planned to reduce congestion and handle the large movement of people during this time.

Infrastructure Update

According to Vaishnaw, Indian Railways adds over 4,000 km of track every year. Coach and locomotive production has also been steady. Punctuality has crossed 90% in 29 of 70 divisions across the network.

Vande Bharat Sleeper Trains

The minister said the Vande Bharat Sleeper has completed testing. One rake is ready, and another will be available by mid-October. Routes for the service will be decided after both rakes are in place. A new Vande Bharat service between Ferozepur and Delhi has also been proposed.

The Railway Board has sanctioned the Rajpura-Mohali line, a project pending for decades. The 18 km stretch, costing ₹443 crore, will cut the travel distance between Ludhiana and Chandigarh by about 66 km.

Read More: 25,000 Tickets per Minute: Railways Upgrading Passenger Reservation System!

Conclusion

The festive season will see the highest-ever deployment of special trains by Indian Railways. Alongside the new services, work on long-awaited projects and the rollout of Vande Bharat Sleeper trains has also been confirmed.

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