India's festival calendar drives some of the heaviest travel demand Indian Railways sees all year — millions of people heading home for a single fixed date, all at once. Indian Railways responds with "special" trains on top of the regular timetable, and in the biggest festival windows (Diwali and Chhath Puja especially) the numbers are genuinely large: recent years have seen well over 7,000 combined special services run in a single festive season. Here's the 2026 calendar and what to actually expect from each one.
2026 Festival Calendar
| Festival | 2026 Date | Heaviest Travel Corridors |
|---|---|---|
| Raksha Bandhan | Aug 28 | Regional (varies by state) |
| Onam | Aug 26 | Kerala routes |
| Ganesh Chaturthi | Sep 14 | Maharashtra, esp. into/out of Mumbai |
| Navratri | Oct 11 – 19 | Gujarat, North India |
| Durga Puja | Oct 16 – 20 (Vijayadashami Oct 20) | West Bengal, Northeast |
| Dussehra / Vijayadashami | Oct 20 | Nationwide |
| Diwali | Nov 6 – 10 (main day Nov 8) | Nationwide |
| Chhath Puja | Nov 13 – 16 (Sandhya Arghya Nov 15) | Delhi/Mumbai/Bengaluru/Surat → Bihar, UP |
Festival Special Trains 2026: The Full List
These are the 32 festival specials currently running on the Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata and Chandigarh corridors into Bihar and eastern UP — the routes that carry the Durga Puja, Diwali and Chhath rush. Numbers come from Indian Railways' festival announcements; every timing, route and running day below was then checked against live train data on 20 September 2026.
Special-fare trains. These are 0-series specials, so a surcharge applies — roughly 10% on second class and 30% on sleeper and AC — and no concessions are permitted on them.
| Train | Route | Departs | Arrives | Runs | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 01667 Rani Kamlapati - Danapur Special | Rani Kamalapati → Danapur | 14:25 | 09:15 | Mon, Fri | 1035 km |
| 01668 Danapur - Rani Kamlapati Special | Danapur → Rani Kamalapati | 11:20 | 10:50 | Tue, Sat | 1035 km |
| 03041 Howrah - Raxaul Special | Howrah → Raxaul Jn | 23:00 | 16:15 | Thu | 698 km |
| 03042 Raxaul - Howrah Special | Raxaul Jn → Howrah | 17:45 | 12:15 | Fri | 698 km |
| 03043 Howrah - Raxaul Special | Howrah → Raxaul Jn | 23:00 | 16:15 | Sat | 698 km |
| 03044 Raxaul - Howrah Special | Raxaul Jn → Howrah | 17:45 | 12:15 | Sun | 698 km |
| 03131 Sealdah - Gorakhpur Special | Sealdah → Gorakhpur Jn | 23:40 | 18:15 | Tue, Thu | 793 km |
| 03135 Sealdah - Patna Special | Sealdah → Patna Jn | 00:20 | 15:00 | Tue | 550 km |
| 03136 Patna - Sealdah Special | Patna Jn → Sealdah | 16:30 | 07:30 | Tue | 550 km |
| 03511 Patna Special Fare Special | Asansol Jn → Patna Jn | 17:00 | 02:30 | Daily | 331 km |
| 04007 Jogbani - Anand Vihar Special | Jogbani → Anand Vihar Terminal | 18:30 | 03:00 | Sun | 1331 km |
| 04008 Anand Vihar - Jogbani Special | Anand Vihar Terminal → Jogbani | 08:30 | 15:00 | Sat | 1332 km |
| 04009 Sitamarhi - Delhi Special | Sitamarhi → Delhi Jn | 00:45 | 20:30 | Sat | 998 km |
| 04010 Delhi - Sitamarhi Special | Delhi Jn → Sitamarhi | 23:05 | 23:30 | Thu | 998 km |
| 04027 Muzaffarpur - Anand Vihar Special | Muzaffarpur Jn → Anand Vihar Terminal | 06:15 | 05:30 | Wed, Sat | 1010 km |
| 04028 Anand Vihar - Muzaffarpur Special | Anand Vihar Terminal → Muzaffarpur Jn | 09:15 | 04:30 | Tue, Fri | 1010 km |
| 04095 Patliputra - Anand Vihar Special | Patliputra Jn → Anand Vihar Terminal | 00:45 | 21:30 | Daily | 1018 km |
| 04096 Anand Vihar - Patliputra Special | Anand Vihar Terminal → Patliputra Jn | 00:05 | 23:00 | Daily | 1018 km |
| 04209 Varanasi - Delhi Special | Varanasi Jn → Delhi Jn | 22:15 | — | Mon, Wed, Fri | 795 km |
| 04210 Delhi - Varanasi Special | Delhi Jn → Varanasi Jn | 18:50 | 09:50 | Tue, Thu, Sat | 795 km |
| 04213 Ayodhya Cantt - Anand Vihar Special | Ayodhya Cantt → Anand Vihar Terminal | 18:20 | 06:10 | Thu, Sun | 607 km |
| 04214 Anand Vihar - Ayodhya Cantt Special | Anand Vihar Terminal → Ayodhya Cantt | 09:00 | 22:00 | Mon, Fri | 607 km |
| 04227 Varanasi - Chandigarh Special | Varanasi Jn → Chandigarh | 11:05 | 04:20 | Thu, Sun | 946 km |
| 04228 Chandigarh - Varanasi Special | Chandigarh → Varanasi Jn | 06:00 | 00:55 | Mon, Fri | 946 km |
| 04313 Muzaffarpur - Rishikesh Special | Muzaffarpur Jn → Yog Nagari Rishikesh | 13:15 | 11:15 | Mon, Fri | 1046 km |
| 04314 Rishikesh - Muzaffarpur Special | Yog Nagari Rishikesh → Muzaffarpur Jn | 15:20 | 11:45 | Thu, Sun | 1046 km |
| 04511 Patna - Chandigarh Special | Patna Jn → Chandigarh | 23:15 | 21:40 | Fri | 1157 km |
| 04512 Chandigarh - Patna Special | Chandigarh → Patna Jn | 23:35 | 21:15 | Thu | 1157 km |
| 04615 Patna - Firozpur Cantt Special | Patna Jn → Firozpur Cantt Jn | 20:20 | 23:55 | Wed | 1368 km |
| 04616 Firozpur Cantt - Patna Special | Firozpur Cantt Jn → Patna Jn | 12:00 | 18:35 | Tue | 1368 km |
| 09823 Sogaria - Danapur Special | Sogaria → Danapur | 23:10 | 23:45 | Sat | 1174 km |
| 09824 Danapur - Sogaria Special | Danapur → Sogaria | 01:15 | 03:45 | Mon | 1174 km |
Where this comes from. Train information here originates from publicly available Indian Railways information, retrieved through a third-party data provider, and is for general reference only. FindMyTrain is privately owned and is not affiliated with, endorsed by or operated by IRCTC, NTES, Indian Railways or any government entity. The official systems are authoritative — check anything critical there before you travel: NTES for live running status and cancellations, indianrail.gov.in for timetable and route, and IRCTC for booking. A dash below means Indian Railways has not published that timing yet. Specials are added and withdrawn through the season and timings can change at short notice. Last verified 20 September 2026.
Durga Puja Special Trains 2026
Durga Puja runs into its final, biggest travel days around Vijayadashami on October 20, 2026, driving heavy demand into West Bengal and the Northeast — Kolkata, New Jalpaiguri, and Guwahati are the corridors that see the sharpest rush, both for the festival itself and the immersion (visarjan) days that follow. As of this update, the full 2026 Durga Puja special-train list hadn't been published yet; Indian Railways has historically released it in phases starting a few weeks out, so check irctc.co.in or NTES as October approaches. Book the moment your 60-day Advance Reservation window opens — Kolkata-bound routes in particular sell out within the first day or two once festival specials go live.
Diwali Special Trains 2026
Diwali (main day November 8, 2026, with the travel window running roughly Nov 6-10) is the single biggest festival-travel spike Indian Railways handles all year, nationwide rather than region-specific. Combined with Chhath Puja two weeks earlier, recent years have seen over 7,000 special train services run across this stretch. The heaviest corridors run outward from Delhi, Mumbai, and Bengaluru toward Bihar, UP, and eastern India. As of this update the 2026 Diwali train list wasn't published yet — Indian Railways typically confirms these in stages through September-October, so a route showing nothing in August can still get a special announced closer to the date. Don't wait on that announcement to plan your booking window, though: general quota for Diwali-week trains routinely fills before any "special" is even confirmed.
Chhath Puja Special Trains 2026
Chhath Puja (Nahay Khay 13 November to Usha Arghya 16 November 2026, with Sandhya Arghya on 15 November) is arguably the single biggest driver of return-rush demand each year, since it requires travelers to be at a specific riverbank or water body in Bihar or UP on precise dates, followed by an equally sharp return-travel spike immediately after. In 2024, Indian Railways ran 400+ dedicated Chhath return-rush specials in a roughly two-week window — expect a similar scale of response in 2026, with the actual 2026 train list confirmed closer to the date. Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, and Surat are the biggest outbound corridors toward Bihar and UP.
Ganesh Chaturthi & Onam
Ganesh Chaturthi (Sep 14, 2026) is Maharashtra's biggest travel-driving festival, especially for people returning to native towns for the visarjan (immersion) days. Indian Railways ran 380 dedicated Ganpati special trains for the 2025 festive season — a reasonable benchmark for what to expect in 2026, though the exact 2026 count wasn't published as of this update. Onam (Aug 26, 2026) similarly drives heavy demand into and out of Kerala, though we didn't find a specific 2026 special-train count for this route.
What to Actually Do About It
- Book as early as your 60-day Advance Reservation window opens. Festival-period tickets on popular routes routinely sell out within the first day or two of the booking window opening.
- Watch for phased announcements. Indian Railways typically confirms festival specials in stages through August-October — a route with nothing listed in early August may still get a special train announced in September.
- Have a Tatkal backup plan. If regular quota is gone, see our Tatkal booking guide for the day-before booking window.
- Don't write off a waitlisted ticket. Festival period waitlists move differently than normal — our waiting list confirmation guide explains what actually happens as the chart prepares.
- Check discounted return fares. Indian Railways has previously offered promotional discounts (around 20% in some years) on return-journey tickets booked alongside an onward festival-travel ticket — worth checking IRCTC directly for any active offer before you book your return separately.
For the specific, already-confirmed Raksha Bandhan special trains between Bhopal and Rewa, see our Raksha Bandhan 2026 special trains guide.
Frequently Asked Questions
When does Indian Railways announce festival special trains?
Typically in phases, starting roughly a month before the festival for major ones like Diwali and Chhath Puja. Smaller/regional festivals may see announcements even closer to the date.
Which festival has the most special trains?
Diwali and Chhath Puja combined typically see the largest number — over 7,000 combined special services in recent years — because they cluster together and drive nationwide, especially Bihar/UP-bound, travel.
How do I find out if my route has a festival special train?
Search by route on IRCTC or NTES closer to the festival date — special trains get loaded into the reservation system once confirmed, which is usually weeks (not months) before they run.
Are festival special trains more expensive than regular trains?
Fares generally follow standard IRCTC pricing for the class booked, though demand-based dynamic pricing on Tatkal/Premium Tatkal quotas can push effective prices higher during peak festival windows.
When will the Diwali special train 2026 list be released?
Not yet published as of this update. Indian Railways typically confirms Diwali specials in phases through September-October, a few weeks before the November 6-10 travel window. Check IRCTC or NTES closer to the date, and don't wait on the announcement to book general quota — it fills fast regardless.
When will the Chhath Puja special train 2026 list be released?
Not yet published as of this update. Expect confirmation closer to the 13-16 November Chhath dates, with a comparable scale of response to 2024's 400+ dedicated return-rush specials in the following two weeks.