Indian Railways announces 100 special trains for Durga Puja, Diwali and Chhath: Check details

Indian Railways Special Trains: Indian Railways has announced more than 100 special trains on several routes to manage the rush during the upcoming festive season. These trains will help passengers travel to their hometowns for Durga Puja, Diwali, Chhath and other festivals and spend time with their families.

The special trains will operate on routes connecting states such as Bihar, West Bengal, Assam, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh. They will also provide additional seats and berths, helping reduce waiting lists and make travel easier for passengers.

Railways has also added extra coaches to some regular trains to accommodate more passengers and provide a more comfortable journey during the festive season. Meanwhile, IRCTC has taken several steps to improve ticket booking during the festive period.

These include adding more servers, upgrading the NGeT system, introducing a new user interface and deploying anti-bot technology to improve the booking experience for genuine passengers. IRCTC said around 89 per cent of all reserved tickets are currently booked online.

According to IRCTC, the capacity of its Next Generation e-Ticketing (NGeT) system has been significantly increased through both hardware and software upgrades. The railway PSU said new servers have been added in place of older infrastructure, increasing the overall capacity of the system to nearly twice its earlier level.

Software optimisation and architectural improvements have also helped increase the system’s ability to handle booking requests. IRCTC also introduced the beta version of its new user interface on July 15, 2026. The redesigned interface gives the booking website a more modern look and presents information in a more structured manner.

One of the changes is that passengers can view availability across different classes, including Sleeper, AC 3 Tier and AC 2 Tier, on a single screen. Anish Mondal is a journalist with over nine years of experience covering the railways and roadways.

Currently a member of the Indianexpress.com editorial team, Anish specializes in high-impact sectors. Professional Journey Anish began his career at the public broadcaster Rajya Sabha Television (now Sansad TV), where he developed a foundational understanding of legislative processes and national governance.

In 2018, he transitioned to digital financial journalism at FinancialExpress.com, spending nearly six years refining his expertise in market trends and corporate reporting. Before joining The Indian Express in 2025, he served as a key contributor at ETNowNews.com.

Education & Expertise Anish’s reporting is backed by a rigorous academic background in communication and the humanities: Master of Journalism and Mass Communication (MJMC) – Apeejay Stya University Post Graduate Diploma in Journalism and Production (PGTVRJP) – Apeejay Institute of Mass Communication Bachelor of Arts (English Honours) – University of Calcutta Areas of Coverage Connectivity: Detailed reporting on the expansion of Indian Railways and National Highway networks.

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