Indian Railways is running a large number of special trains to and from Bihar to handle the Diwali and Chhath Puja rush, connecting Patna, Gaya, Muzaffarpur, Darbhanga, Bhagalpur, Purnia and other towns with cities across the country, The Indian Express reported.
As of November 3, East Central Railway (ECR) had announced 103 pairs of special trains that start or end at its stations, its chief public relations officer Saraswati Chandra said. Another 5 pairs run within the zone and 51 more pass through its stations.
Trains from Delhi
Among the Patna–Delhi specials, according to Patna Press:
- 02253 Patna–New Delhi Vande Bharat Special: Saturdays, Mondays and Wednesdays, until November 28
- 02254 New Delhi–Patna Vande Bharat Special: Sundays, Tuesdays and Thursdays, until November 26
- 04087/04088 Patna–New Delhi and New Delhi–Patna Specials: daily
Specials within Bihar
- 03216 Patliputra–Purnia Court: five days a week (not Wednesday or Saturday), until November 30
- 03297 Patna–Islampur: Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday, until November 29
- 05573/05574 Raghopur–Deoghar: daily, until November 30
- 03287 Buxar–DDU: daily, until November 30
- 05543/05544 Raxaul–Narkatiaganj: Thursday and Saturday, until November 28
Seats still available
More than 24 of ECR's festival specials reportedly still had vacant seats, including trains linking Patna and Danapur with Delhi, Anand Vihar, Chandigarh and Firozpur, Patna Press reported. Passengers who have not got confirmed tickets on regular trains can check these services.
At Delhi's stations, Northern Railway has deployed 2,040 Railway Protection Force personnel, including 1,300 extra, to manage the crowds, The Indian Express reported.
The Indian Express headline gives the figure as 106 special trains, while ECR's own count is 103 pairs from its stations. Running days can change, so check them before travelling.