The Indian Railways (IR) has planned to operate 12,000 special trains for the upcoming Diwali 2025 and Chhat festival. These trains will operate country-wide to ease the flow of passengers during festivities, manage crowds, and safety of those travelling to their hometowns. Additional berths will also be provided on these special routes for those who couldn’t secure tickets on regular trains.
Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw on Wednesday held discussions with Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Samrat Chaudhary, MP Dr. Sanjay Jaiswal, Union Minister Lallan Singh, and MP Sanjay Kumar Jha to announce the special arrangements thus made. This comes after Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced in his speech on Independence Day 2025, GST tax reforms and relief for taxpayers.
It was announced that four Amrit Bharat trains will soon be introduced, linking Delhi with Gaya, Saharsa with Amritsar, Chhapra with Delhi, and Muzaffarpur with Hyderabad. In addition, a new Vande Bharat service will operate on the Purnia–Patna route.
Convenience in return journey
Vaishnaw said that passenger convenience – especially during the festive rush – has been kept at the heart of the Railways’ planning. Highlighting preparations for Diwali and Chhath, he explained that discussions with public representatives led to the decision to operate 12,000 special trains to manage the massive travel demand. Importantly, he stressed that arrangements have also been made to ensure people face no difficulty on their return journey after the celebrations.
Earlier, Indian Railways recently rolled out a ‘Round Trip Package’ scheme, aimed at making festive travel smoother and more affordable. The scheme gives discounts on return fares when passengers book both a complete return trip together. However, it needs to be made for the same group of travellers under one booking. To ensure clarity and prevent misuse, details for the return journey would be matched with those who travelled on arrival.