Railways to run 102 special trains for Diwali and Dussehra: Check routes, timings, and ticket booking details

The Indian Railways is set to run 102 special trains during the upcoming Dussehra and Diwali festive season to manage the anticipated increase in passenger traffic. These additional services will primarily operate under the Solapur Division and connect major destinations such as Mumbai, Chennai, Latur, Kolhapur, and Kalaburagi. To ensure a smooth journey for millions of holiday travelers, the railway authorities have outlined the new routes, schedules, and ticket booking procedures.

For the Mumbai-Chennai corridor, six weekly special trains will operate between Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus (CSMT) Mumbai and Chennai Beach, with the return service departing from Chennai Beach every Thursday at 04:00 hrs. The journey to Mumbai will take six hours, and the return journey will also take six hours, reaching Chennai Beach on the following day.

Regionally, a bi-weekly special train will connect Mumbai and Latur, making 13 trips in each direction between October 13 and November 24. The CSMT Mumbai-Latur Special departs Mumbai at 00:35 hrs on Tuesdays and Thursdays, arriving in Latur at 11:40 hrs. Conversely, the Latur-CSMT Mumbai Special will leave Latur at 16:30 hrs, arriving in Mumbai at 04:10 hrs the next morning.

Additionally, a daily Kolhapur-Kalaburagi Special service will run 32 trips each way (64 trips in total) between October 10 and November 15. The train will depart Kolhapur at 06:10 hrs and reach Kalaburagi at 16:10 hrs. The return journey will depart Kalaburagi at 18:10 hrs and arrive in Kolhapur at 05:40 hrs the following day.

Ticket bookings for these festive special trains will open on 27 September 2026. Passengers are advised to book their tickets early and ensure they have valid tickets to avoid any inconveniences. Real-time updates and detailed halt timings can be accessed through the National Train Enquiry System (NTES) portal or the RailOne app.