Konkan Railway announces 254 special trains for Ganpati festival; check routes, dates

The special trains will operate during the festival travel period to provide additional connectivity for passengers travelling to their hometowns and other destinations along the Konkan route. Ganesh Chaturthi will be celebrated on September 14 this year.

246 trains to run with Central Railway

Of the 254 special services, 246 will be operated in coordination with Central Railway between September 11 and 27, KRCL Deputy General Manager Baban Ghatge said on Tuesday.

The services will connect Mumbai’s Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus (CSMT) with destinations including Sawantwadi, Ratnagiri, Madgaon and Mangaluru. Additional services will also operate on the Lokmanya Tilak Terminus (LTT)-Ratnagiri, LTT-Madgaon, LTT-Mangaluru, Pune-Ratnagiri and Pune-Sawantwadi routes.

The special trains will operate on different dates during the period. Passengers have been advised to check the National Train Enquiry System (NTES) or the Konkan Railway app for the specific operating dates and timings.

8 trains to operate with Western Railway

Another eight special trains will be operated in coordination with Western Railway. These services will originate from stations including Bandra Terminus in Mumbai, Vadodara and Vishvamitri in Gujarat, Bhusawal in Maharashtra and Valsad in Gujarat.

Bookings for all 254 special train services have already opened. The additional services are aimed at easing pressure on regular trains as passenger demand rises during the Ganpati festival.

“I request passengers to go ahead and book tickets on these special trains rather than depending on the regular trains being run by Konkan Railway, so that they can travel comfortably,” Ghatge said, according to PTI.

The additional trains are expected to provide more travel options during a period when regular services are likely to see increased demand from passengers travelling towards the Konkan region for the festival.