[REVISION HISTORY]

Indian Railways festival train services

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2026-08-13 14:40 UTC → 2026-08-15 10:30 UTC · added ~~removed~~

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.

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