During the festive season, every year in India, railway stations look like a crowdy zone. The pull of the festivals brings families together to celebrate. Many people want to return to their hometowns to celebrate the festival of lights, Diwali, and Chhath Puja with near and dear ones. Unfortunately, there’s one issue with this—the Indian Railways cannot handle the demand for tickets on a regular basis. Passengers spend hours in the long queues of the IRCTC counter, while websites and apps crash within minutes. Tickets are booked out, and the waiting list on all trains get ridiculous numbers.
The only option left for the passengers is to shell out more money for flights and costly buses. Fortunately, the Indian Railways has announced Festival Special Trains 2025 to alleviate the situation and provide relief to millions of passengers. During the festival season, the railways is running these additional trains to ease the rush and to ensure a pleasant journey. Many people call them a blessing during these festivals.
The festivals in India lead to one of the largest human migrations on the planet. People who have jobs in metro cities like Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Bengaluru, Chennai, Hyderabad, etc. take train back to their home states like Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Jharkhand, West Bengal, Assam, Haryana, Punjab, Madhya Pradesh, Odisha, Chhattisgarh, Gujarat, Maharashtra and Rajasthan.
Diwali sees maximum travel as families return home to perform rituals, prayers, and enjoy food and celebrations together.
Chhath Puja is a spiritual festival to worship the Sun God. Lakhs of devotees attend the rituals and camps by riversides and ponds.
Passengers find it difficult to get train tickets on normal train services during Diwali and Chhath Puja.
Sleeper and AC train coaches get booked months in advance.
Passengers have to wait for long and face the misery of 200+ or more waiting list numbers.
Pantry cars in trains and other onboard facilities do not work up to the mark with this huge number of passengers.
Passengers face huge safety concerns during overcrowding at major junctions.
Festival Special Trains are introduced to address all these concerns by providing additional travel capacity and smoother travel experience.
The Indian Railways is running one of its biggest festive travel operations in the coming season. It has announced 12,000+ Festival Special Train Services running across the country during Diwali and Chhath Puja in the month of October and November 2025.
Central Railway alone has released 1,100+ additional trains, while other zones such as Western Railway, Eastern Railway, and South Eastern Railway are operating several dozen long-distance festival specials.
Railways has added more coaches to many trains to handle the rush and ensure maximum passenger comfort. On some routes, special trains with no reservation category have been introduced for last-minute travelers.
Railway officials have also announced the use of new trains such as Vande Sleeper coaches with faster speeds and more comfort.
This is one of the most expansive operations by the Indian Railways and shows their intent to ensure “no traveler is left behind”.
Indian Railways has made the announcement zone-wise and has not revealed the exact train numbers and train name changes yet, but these are some of the most popular routes:
Delhi → Patna / Varanasi / Lucknow / Gorakhpur
Mumbai → Patna / Darbhanga / Gorakhpur
Ahmedabad → Bihar / Eastern UP
Kolkata → Ranchi / Patna / Asansol
Bengaluru / Chennai → North India (Bihar & UP)
These are the busiest migration corridors and the trains will be added on most of these routes.
The first and foremost benefit of these trains is that more passengers get the chance to get confirmed tickets. They do not have to solely depend on long waiting list numbers to travel.
Extra services ensure the load is distributed among more trains and there is less chance of overcrowding. Travel is also safer and more comfortable.
Festival Special Trains run at faster speeds with lesser stops and get passengers to their destination faster.
Rather than opt for expensive flights or overpriced buses, Festival Trains provide budget-friendly long-distance travel.
These trains also run on seasonal routes which are not covered by regular trains. They ensure people can travel to smaller towns.
While these trains are a great relief, they also have several problems:
Operational Challenges: Running these trains on already crowded schedules and tracks.
Safety Issues: Managing large crowds at stations and on platforms.
Ticketing Pressure: The IRCTC online servers, booking apps, and counters get overloaded.
Maintenance Challenges: Cleaning and maintenance of coaches have to be done faster due to higher usage.
Indian Railways is overcoming these challenges with proper planning in advance, by opening counters well in advance, sending digital updates and alerts on their official social media handles, using temporary platforms, hiring additional staff and ensuring high-level security.
1. Book Early
As soon as the railway zones make the announcement, you should book your tickets.
2. Stay Updated
Keep an eye on the Indian Railways or IRCTC official websites for train changes in timings or platforms.
3. Reach Early at Stations
Expect long lines for entry gates, ticket checking and boarding in the train. Reach the station well before your train’s scheduled departure.
4. Travel Light
Carry less baggage to avoid delays in crowded platforms.
5. Carry Essentials
Bring bottled water, snacks and a small medical kit for the journey.
6. Use Online Apps
Use online apps for ordering food in train, live train status tracking, and e-tickets.
7. Stay Safe
Avoid unauthorized travel agents and ticket booking. Carry valid ID proof while entering stations and boarding trains.
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Diwali and Chhath Puja are not just about traveling to hometowns but also about enjoying festive meals with family and friends. Long-distance train journeys can be exhausting and the food from the pantry or packed food from home may not be as tasty. That is why people these days prefer ordering food in train during festivals.
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Railway Earnings: Increased ticket sales increase their earnings.
Tourism and Markets: Passengers also spend on local shops, markets and services.
Jobs: Extra catering, staff and security jobs are created.
Regional Business: Better connectivity helps small-town trade and business during festive season.
Festival Special Trains help boost the economy in various ways during the busiest travel season of the year.
Q1. When do the Festival Special Trains start in 2025?
Most of the Festival Special Trains will start from the first week of October to the second or third week of November 2025 during the festivals of Diwali and Chhath Puja.
Q2. How can I book these trains?
Festival Special Trains can be booked through the IRCTC online portal, mobile app, or any authorized railway ticketing counters.
Q3. Will the Festival Special Trains be more expensive?
Festival Special Trains may have slightly different fares from normal trains but are much more cheaper and affordable than flights and private luxury buses.
Q4. Can I travel without having a reserved ticket?
Indian Railways has introduced some unreserved festival specials for passengers who did not have a reserved ticket.
Q5. Which states do the most in these trains?
Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Jharkhand, West Bengal, Madhya Pradesh, and Odisha are the maximum beneficiaries of these trains as maximum passenger travel back to these states to celebrate festivals with their families and loved ones.
Conclusion
Festival Special Trains 2025 is a blessing for millions of passengers. For those who wish to spend Diwali with family and observe Chhath Puja rituals, these trains make travel easier, more affordable and less stressful.
With over 12,000 additional train services, extended train coaches, unreserved options and modern amenities like Vande Sleeper trains, the Indian Railways is showing its commitment and efforts to keep up their promise that “no traveler will be left behind” during the festival season.
Don’t forget to order tasty food online with Gofoodieonline and add some flavor to your travel this festival season. Order delicious food at 450+ railway stations across India with Gofoodieonline and make your journey as enjoyable as the festive celebrations at home.
