Central Railway to Operate Five Pairs of Special Trains for Durga Puja, Diwali and Chhath 2026
In view of the expected surge in passenger demand during Durga Puja, Diwali and Chhath festivals in 2026, Central Railway will operate five pairs of special trains on key routes connecting Mumbai and Pune with destinations in Uttar Pradesh and eastern India.
The special services include trains between Lokmanya Tilak Terminus and Mau, Hadapsar and Ghazipur City, Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus and Gorakhpur, Hadapsar and Gorakhpur, and Lokmanya Tilak Terminus and Banaras.
The additional services are intended to provide more travel options during the peak festive season, particularly for passengers travelling between Maharashtra and Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and other parts of northern India.
Five Pairs of Festival Special Trains
| Train No. | Route | Frequency | Operational Period | Total Trips |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 01123/01124 | Lokmanya Tilak Terminus–Mau | Bi-weekly | October 11–November 22, 2026 | 12 each direction |
| 01431/01432 | Hadapsar–Ghazipur City | Bi-weekly | October 13–November 22, 2026 | 12 each direction |
| 01079/01080 | CSMT–Gorakhpur | Daily | October 16–November 18, 2026 | 32 each direction |
| 01415/01416 | Hadapsar–Gorakhpur | Daily | October 16–November 17, 2026 | 32 each direction |
| 01051/01052 | Lokmanya Tilak Terminus–Banaras | Bi-weekly | October 14–November 20, 2026 | 12 each direction |
1. LTT–Mau Bi-Weekly Special
Train No. 01123 Lokmanya Tilak Terminus–Mau Special will operate every Friday and Sunday from October 11 to November 20, 2026, completing 12 trips. The return service, Train No. 01124 Mau–Lokmanya Tilak Terminus Special, will run every Tuesday and Sunday from October 13 to November 22, also completing 12 trips.
The train will comprise 22 coaches, including 11 Sleeper Class coaches, five General Class coaches, two AC 3-Tier coaches and two SLRD coaches.
The outbound service will depart LTT at 12:15 PM and reach Mau Junction at 9:30 PM the following day. Major stations on the route include Thane, Kalyan, Igatpuri, Nashik Road, Jalgaon, Bhusaval, Khandwa, Itarsi, Pipariya, Narsinghpur, Madan Mahal, Katni, Maihar, Satna, Manikpur, Prayagraj Chheoki, Varanasi, Jaunpur, Shahganj, Khorasan Road, Azamgarh and Muhammadabad.
| Station | Train 01123 Timing |
|---|---|
| LTT | Departure 12:15 PM |
| Thane | 12:35–12:38 PM |
| Kalyan | 12:50–12:55 PM |
| Igatpuri | 2:40–2:45 PM |
| Nashik Road | 3:12–3:15 PM |
| Jalgaon | 6:45–6:48 PM |
| Bhusaval | 7:10–7:15 PM |
| Khandwa | 8:57–9:00 PM |
| Itarsi | 11:56 PM–12:01 AM |
| Katni | 4:40–4:50 AM |
| Satna | 7:10–7:15 AM |
| Prayagraj Chheoki | 11:10–11:15 AM |
| Varanasi | 3:50–4:00 PM |
| Jaunpur | 6:10–6:15 PM |
| Azamgarh | 8:00–8:05 PM |
| Mau | Arrival 9:30 PM |
The return train, 01124, will depart Mau at 4:15 AM and reach LTT at 4:45 PM.
2. Hadapsar–Ghazipur City Bi-Weekly Special
Train No. 01431 Hadapsar–Ghazipur City Special will run every Tuesday and Friday from October 13 to November 20, while Train No. 01432 Ghazipur City–Hadapsar Special will operate every Thursday and Sunday from October 15 to November 22. Both services will complete 12 trips.
The train will have 22 coaches, comprising six Sleeper Class, six General Class, four AC 3-Tier and two SLRD coaches.
The Hadapsar-originating train will leave at 6:55 AM and arrive at Ghazipur City at 8:15 PM. It will serve important stations including Daund Chord Line, Ahmednagar, Belapur, Kopargaon, Ankai, Manmad, Jalgaon, Bhusaval, Khandwa, Itarsi, Pipariya, Narsinghpur, Madan Mahal, Katni, Maihar, Satna, Manikpur, Prayagraj Chheoki, Varanasi, Jaunpur and Aunrihar.
The return service will depart Ghazipur City at 4:00 AM and reach Hadapsar at 4:20 PM.
3. CSMT–Gorakhpur Daily Special
One of the major additional services will be Train No. 01079 Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus–Gorakhpur Special, which will operate daily from October 16 to November 16, 2026, with 32 trips.
The return Train No. 01080 Gorakhpur–CSMT Special will operate daily from October 18 to November 18, also completing 32 trips.
The service will have 22 coaches, consisting of 11 Sleeper Class coaches, five General Class coaches, four AC 3-Tier coaches and two SLRD coaches.
The CSMT service will depart at 10:30 PM and arrive at Gorakhpur Junction at 10:00 AM. The route covers several major cities, including Dadar, Thane, Kalyan, Nashik Road, Manmad, Jalgaon, Bhusaval, Khandwa, Itarsi, Bhopal, Bina, Virangana Lakshmibai Jhansi, Orai, Kanpur Central, Lucknow, Gonda, Mankapur, Basti and Khalilabad.
| Major Station | 01079 Timing |
|---|---|
| CSMT | Departure 10:30 PM |
| Thane | 11:17–11:20 PM |
| Kalyan | 11:47–11:50 PM |
| Nashik Road | 2:20–2:25 AM |
| Bhusaval | 5:50–6:00 AM |
| Khandwa | 9:00–9:05 AM |
| Itarsi | 1:05–1:15 PM |
| Bhopal | 3:55–4:00 PM |
| Bina | 6:48–6:50 PM |
| Jhansi | 10:10–10:15 PM |
| Kanpur Central | 2:10–2:20 AM |
| Lucknow | 4:05–4:15 AM |
| Gonda | 6:30–6:35 AM |
| Basti | 7:52–7:55 AM |
| Khalilabad | 8:28–8:30 AM |
| Gorakhpur | Arrival 10:00 AM |
The return train 01080 will depart Gorakhpur at 2:30 PM and reach CSMT at 12:40 AM.
4. Hadapsar–Gorakhpur Daily Special
Train No. 01415 Hadapsar–Gorakhpur Special will run daily from October 16 to November 16, completing 32 trips. The return Train No. 01416 Gorakhpur–Hadapsar Special will operate from October 17 to November 17, also completing 32 trips.
This service will comprise 18 coaches — six Sleeper Class, six General Class, four AC 3-Tier and two SLRD coaches.
Train 01415 will depart Hadapsar at 7:05 AM and reach Gorakhpur at 4:00 PM. Its route includes Daund Chord Line, Ahmednagar, Belapur, Kopargaon, Manmad, Bhusaval, Khandwa, Itarsi, Bhopal, Bina, Jhansi, Orai, Kanpur Central, Lucknow, Gonda, Mankapur and Basti.
The return train will leave Gorakhpur at 5:30 PM and arrive at Hadapsar at 3:30 AM.
5. LTT–Banaras Bi-Weekly Special
Train No. 01051 Lokmanya Tilak Terminus–Banaras Special will operate every Wednesday and Thursday from October 14 to November 19, with 12 trips.
The return Train No. 01052 Banaras–Lokmanya Tilak Terminus Special will run every Thursday and Friday from October 15 to November 20, also completing 12 trips.
The train will have 22 coaches, including 11 Sleeper Class, five General Class, four AC 3-Tier and two SLRD coaches.
Train 01051 will depart LTT at 12:15 PM and reach Banaras at 4:05 PM the following day. The service will cover Thane, Kalyan, Igatpuri, Nashik Road, Jalgaon, Bhusaval, Khandwa, Itarsi, Pipariya, Narsinghpur, Madan Mahal, Katni, Maihar, Satna, Manikpur, Prayagraj Chheoki and Varanasi.
| Station | Train 01051 Timing |
|---|---|
| LTT | Departure 12:15 PM |
| Thane | 12:35–12:38 PM |
| Kalyan | 12:50–12:55 PM |
| Nashik Road | 3:12–3:15 PM |
| Bhusaval | 7:10–7:15 PM |
| Khandwa | 8:57–9:00 PM |
| Itarsi | 11:56 PM–12:01 AM |
| Katni | 4:40–4:50 AM |
| Satna | 7:10–7:15 AM |
| Manikpur | 9:00–9:02 AM |
| Prayagraj Chheoki | 11:10–11:15 AM |
| Varanasi | 3:45–3:50 PM |
| Banaras | Arrival 4:05 PM |
The return train 01052 will depart Banaras at 8:30 PM and reach LTT at 4:40 AM.
Additional Capacity During the Festive Rush
The five pairs of special trains will provide additional capacity during one of the busiest travel periods of the year. The services particularly strengthen rail connectivity between Mumbai and Pune and major destinations across Uttar Pradesh, including Mau, Ghazipur City, Gorakhpur and Banaras.
With several services running daily and others operating twice a week, the additional trains are expected to give passengers more options for planning journeys around Durga Puja, Diwali and Chhath celebrations.
Passengers are advised to check the latest timetable, stoppages and ticket availability before travelling, as operational timings may be subject to changes by the railway administration.
