Railways Announces Festival Special Trains to Meet Festive Rush

To manage the expected increase in passenger demand during the upcoming festive season, Indian Railways has announced special reserved train services on key routes connecting northern, eastern and northeastern regions of the country.

The special services are intended to provide additional travel capacity during October and November 2026, when passenger movement is expected to rise significantly because of festivals and holidays. The announced trains will operate with reserved accommodation and will cover important cities and towns across Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh, Rajasthan-linked routes, Bihar and eastern India.

Two special train services have been announced: Train No. 04221/04222 Varanasi–Bathinda–Varanasi Reserved Special Express and Train No. 04634/04633 Firozpur–Purnea–Firozpur Reserved Special Express.

The trains will provide additional connectivity between major passenger-generating centres and several important railway stations along their respective routes.

Varanasi–Bathinda Reserved Special Express

Train Nos. 04221/04222 Varanasi–Bathinda–Varanasi Reserved Special Express will operate for a total of eight trips in each direction during October and November 2026.

Train No. 04221 will originate from Varanasi Junction every Sunday on October 4, 11, 18 and 25, followed by November 1, 8, 15 and 22.

The return service, Train No. 04222, will originate from Bathinda Junction every Monday on October 5, 12, 19 and 26 and November 2, 9, 16 and 23.

The special train will have a combination of AC and general coaches, providing additional reserved and general seating capacity for passengers travelling between Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand-linked areas, Haryana and Punjab.

The service will start from Varanasi Junction at 8:40 pm. It will make scheduled stops at several important stations before reaching Bathinda.

Among the major stations covered by the service are Maa Belha Devi Dham Pratapgarh Junction, Rae Bareli Junction, Utraitia Junction, Alam Nagar, Bareilly Junction, Moradabad Junction, Najibabad Junction, Saharanpur Junction, Yamunanagar Jagadhri, Ambala Cantt Junction, Rajpura Junction, Patiala, Dhuri Junction, Barnala and Rampura Phul.

The train is scheduled to reach Bathinda Junction at 5:00 pm the following day.

On the return journey, Train No. 04222 will depart from Bathinda Junction at 5:30 pm and travel through the same broad corridor towards Varanasi.

The return service will reach Varanasi Junction at 8:40 pm, according to the announced schedule.

The service will therefore provide an overnight travel option between Varanasi and Punjab, while also connecting several major railway stations in Uttar Pradesh, Haryana and Punjab.

Important Stations on the Varanasi–Bathinda Route

The Varanasi–Bathinda special train is expected to benefit passengers travelling to and from several important cities and regional centres.

The train’s route includes Bareilly, Moradabad, Saharanpur, Yamunanagar, Ambala, Rajpura, Patiala, Dhuri and Barnala, in addition to Varanasi and Bathinda.

The service also provides connectivity to Pratapgarh and Rae Bareli in Uttar Pradesh.

With the train operating every Sunday from Varanasi and every Monday from Bathinda during the specified period, passengers will have additional options for planning festive-season journeys.

Firozpur–Purnea Reserved Special Express

The second special service announced by Railways is Train Nos. 04634/04633 Firozpur–Purnea–Firozpur Reserved Special Express.

This train will connect Firozpur in Punjab with Purnea in Bihar, covering a long east-west corridor and serving a large number of intermediate passenger centres.

Train No. 04634 will operate from Firozpur Cantt every Thursday, beginning October 8 and continuing through November 26, 2026. It will make a total of eight trips from Firozpur.

The return service, Train No. 04633, will operate from Purnea every Saturday, beginning October 10 and continuing through November 28. It will also make eight trips.

Unlike the Varanasi–Bathinda service, which has AC and general coaches, the Firozpur–Purnea special will comprise AC, sleeper and general coaches, offering different accommodation options for passengers undertaking the long-distance journey.

Train No. 04634 will depart from Firozpur Cantt at 5:30 pm and travel through Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh and Bihar before reaching Purnea Junction.

Major Stations Covered

The Firozpur–Purnea service will stop at a large number of important stations along its route.

In Punjab, the train will serve Makhu, Lohian Khas Junction, Nakodar Junction, Phillaur Junction and Dhandari Kalan.

It will then travel through Chandigarh, Ambala Cantt and Yamunanagar Jagadhri, before reaching Saharanpur and Moradabad.

Further south and east, the service will cover Bareilly, Shahjahanpur, Sitapur Junction and Gonda Junction, followed by Gorakhpur and Chhapra.

In Bihar, the train will serve several important passenger centres, including Sonpur, Hajipur Junction, Shahpur Patoree, Barauni Junction, Begusarai, Khagaria Junction, Mansi Junction, Naugachia, Katihar Junction and Purnea Junction.

Train No. 04634 is scheduled to reach Purnea Junction at 3:00 am, after an overnight journey from Firozpur.

The return service, Train No. 04633, will depart from Purnea Junction at 6:00 am and travel towards Firozpur, reaching Firozpur Cantt at 4:35 pm.

Additional Capacity During Festive Season

The announcement comes as Railways prepares for increased passenger movement during the festive period. Festivals traditionally lead to a substantial rise in demand for long-distance rail travel, particularly on routes connecting major cities with eastern and northern parts of the country.

The additional services are designed to supplement existing train operations and provide passengers with more travel options during the peak-demand period.

The Varanasi–Bathinda service will particularly strengthen connectivity between eastern Uttar Pradesh and Punjab, while also serving major cities and towns in Uttar Pradesh, Haryana and Punjab.

The Firozpur–Purnea service will provide an extended connection between Punjab and northeastern Bihar, passing through several major railway hubs in northern India.

The inclusion of AC, sleeper and general coaches in the Firozpur–Purnea service is also intended to accommodate passengers with different travel requirements.

Eight Trips Each Way

Both special services will operate for eight trips in each direction.

For the Varanasi–Bathinda service, departures from Varanasi are scheduled on Sundays from October 4 through November 22, while departures from Bathinda will take place on Mondays from October 5 through November 23.

For the Firozpur–Purnea service, departures from Firozpur are scheduled every Thursday from October 8 through November 26, while the return journey from Purnea will operate every Saturday from October 10 through November 28.

Passengers planning festive-season travel have been advised to check the latest railway timetable, reservation availability and operational information before undertaking their journey, as train timings and operational arrangements may be subject to change.

With these additional services, Railways is adding capacity on two important long-distance corridors during October and November, providing passengers with additional reserved travel options during the festive rush.