# Indian Railways festival train services

> Live situation record from CLSTR: https://clstr.news/situations/indian-railways-festival-train-services
> Updated: 2026-08-15T02:02:23.000Z. Sources: 8. Developments: 4.

In late July 2026, the Ministry of Railways announced special trains for the Ganeshotsav festival and the Kanwar Yatra pilgrimage, adding dedicated services on the Konkan Railway and new halts at Savantwadi Road, as well as four special trains linking Delhi, Shamli and Saharanpur with Haridwar and Rishikesh.

A week later, Indian Railways expanded the programme with 112 additional special train trips for the Onam festival in Kerala. Running from mid-August to early September, these services—provided by Southern, South Western, South Central, and South Eastern Railways—more than doubled the 55 special trips run in 2025. The routes connect Kerala with cities such as Chennai, Bengaluru, Mysuru, Hubballi, Hyderabad, and Santragachi, serving key stations including Thiruvananthapuram, Kollam, Kottayam, Kannur, Ernakulam, and Mangaluru.

Despite the increased capacity, passengers have raised concerns regarding the scheduling and route distribution. Travelers reported that many services do not align with peak travel dates, specifically the period between August 20 and 25, or lack sufficient return services. Complaints also highlighted a lack of options for the Malabar region due to a concentration of services toward south Kerala, and a mismatch in coach composition, with some routes offering a high ratio of AC accommodation over sleeper berths. One specific service announced includes a 23-coach train from Bengaluru Cantonment to Kannur, departing August 20 and returning August 21 via the Palakkad route.

To manage the surge, Southern Railway announced capacity increases, including expanding the Vande Bharat Express on the Bengaluru-Ernakulam route from eight to 16 coaches starting August 17. Additional services include a weekly train between Chennai Central and Kollam from August 12 through early September, and a special service from Hubballi to Kottayam via Salem and Erode departing August 25.

## Timeline

### 2026-08-15: Southern Railway expands services to manage Onam festival travel rush

Southern Railway is increasing train capacity and introducing special services between Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, and Kerala to accommodate the Onam festival travel rush.

2 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/southern-railway-expands-services-to-manage-onam-festival-travel-rush

### 2026-08-13: Indian Railways announces Onam special trains amid passenger concerns

Indian Railways announced over 100 special Onam festival trains, though passengers cite mismatches in travel dates, routes, and coach types, particularly for the Malabar region.

4 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/indian-railways-announces-onam-special-trains-amid-passenger-concerns

### 2026-08-07: Indian Railways adds 112 special trains for Onam travel surge in Kerala

Indian Railways will run 112 special trains between Aug 14 and Sep 6, linking Kerala with major cities to ease congestion during the Onam festival, nearly doubling last year’s services.

4 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/indian-railways-adds-112-special-trains-for-onam-travel-surge-in-kerala

### 2026-07-25: Indian Railways adds special Ganeshotsav and Kanwar Yatra trains across the country

Indian Railways added Ganeshotsav and Kanwar Yatra special trains, including new stops at Savantwadi and extended services from Delhi, Shamli and Saharanpur.

2 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/indian-railways-adds-special-ganeshotsav-and-kanwar-yatra-trains-across-the-country

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Cite as: Indian Railways festival train services. CLSTR, https://clstr.news/situations/indian-railways-festival-train-services