Northern Railway has rolled out a set of special and extended train services ahead of the Kanwar Yatra 2026, which begins July 30, as authorities in North India brace for the annual surge of pilgrims heading to Haridwar and Rishikesh.
Delhi-Saharanpur MEMU extended to Haridwar for Kanwar Yatra
The Delhi-Saharanpur MEMU will be extended up to Haridwar for the duration of the pilgrimage, running from July 30 to August 14. The service will leave Delhi at 4:15 pm, reach Saharanpur by 8:50 pm, and after a 20-minute halt, continue to Haridwar, arriving at 10:50 pm. The return leg will depart Haridwar at 2 am and pull into Delhi by 8:45 am.
Delhi-Shamli DEMU extended to Haridwar from July 30
The Delhi-Shamli DEMU has also been extended to Haridwar over the same period, routed via Shamli, Thana Bhawan, Rampur Maniharan and Tapri, with the return journey following the same stations in reverse via Jwalapur and Roorkee.
Northern Railway announces two special trains for Kanwar pilgrims
Northern Railway will run two fair specials for the season. The Haridwar-Delhi Shahdara service will operate from July 30 to August 13, and the Yoganagari Rishikesh-Delhi Shahdara service will run from July 30 to August 14. Both have been introduced specifically to ease pilgrim travel during peak Kanwar days.
Road transport arrangements in place too
Alongside the railways, Haryana Roadways is running two daily buses to Haridwar from Ballabhgarh, with plans to add services as passenger numbers rise closer to the peak yatra period.
Delhi, UP and other states announce Kanwar Yatra traffic restrictions
States across North India have also announced traffic diversions and highway closures to manage the pilgrim movement. Ghaziabad has barred heavy vehicles from July 29 to August 12, the Delhi-Haridwar highway will be shut to all vehicles from August 4 to 12, the Delhi-Meerut Expressway‘s UP stretch will close from August 7 to 12, and Mirzapur will enforce heavy-vehicle restrictions through August 28.