Indian Railways has introduced a series of measures to handle the surge in passenger traffic expected during the Diwali and Chhath Puja festive season. Among the various zones, Northern Railways has taken the lead with large-scale operations. To ensure safe, efficient and smooth train services during one of the busiest travel periods of the year, these steps have been taken. As per a report by the Indian Express, the Northern Railway zone will run 4,718 special train trips between September 19 and November 30. Last year, 3836 trips were announced. The zone has also introduced 23 new trains since the 2024 festive season to ease congestion on major routes.
Northern Railways announces special services for the festive rush
In order to meet rising demand, 2,70,532 additional seats and berths have been created through coach augmentations between September 27 and October 31, up from 2,48,008 in the same period last year. Out of these, 1,76,400 are general class seats, highlighting the focus on affordability and connectivity.
Delhi-Bihar trains operating at full capacity – All you need to know
Despite the huge rush, many trains from Delhi to Bihar are already fully booked. As per a report by Jagran, several crucial train services for Bihar are PNBE Festival Special (04094), Shramjeevi Express (12392), ANVT-PNBE Special (03256, 04090), Amrit Bharat Express (22362), Magadh Express (20802), Vikramshila Express (12368) and PPTA Festival Special (04096) and Mahananda Express (15484). Some of these trains are displaying that the waiting list is in progress, and in some, there is no availability at all.
As per the Indian Express report, crowd levels at Delhi, Hazrat Nizamuddin and Anand Vihar stations are nearing peak levels, prompting the deployment of holding areas and 12 standby rakes to manage the real-time demand.
Additionally, 65 special trains will operate from Lucknow division, 34 from Ambala, 22 from Jammu and 18 from Moradabad. This will ensure wider coverage across northern India. The enhanced network aims to make festival travel streamlined and safer for millions of commuters who will be heading home for the celebration.
