New Delhi: To accommodate the massive surge in passenger traffic during the upcoming Diwali and Chhath Puja festivities, Indian Railways has announced five pairs of special trains connecting various cities in North India to key destinations across Bihar. These additional services, launched under the Northern Railway zone, aim to ensure smoother travel and additional berths for homebound passengers during the festive season.
The Firozpur–Patna–Firozpur Reserved Festival Special Express (04602/04601) will operate between October 22 and November 20, 2025. The train will make five round trips, departing every Wednesday from Firozpur and every Thursday from Patna. It will include AC, sleeper, and general coaches, stopping at major junctions such as Ludhiana, Ambala Cantt, Saharanpur, Lucknow, Varanasi, and Buxar before reaching Patna.
The Ludhiana–Supaul–Ludhiana Unreserved Festival Special Express (04656/04655) will run temporarily between October 22 and 25, 2025. This unreserved train will operate three trips in each direction, passing through key stations like Ambala Cantt, Moradabad, Gorakhpur, Hajipur, Barauni, and Saharsa before reaching Supaul. It will primarily cater to short-distance passengers traveling to smaller towns across Uttar Pradesh and Bihar.
In addition, three reserved trains will connect Ludhiana to Katihar and Patna for those heading further east. The Ludhiana–Katihar Reserved Festival Special Express (04658/04657) will depart from Ludhiana on October 22 and from Katihar on October 24, 2025, followed by another service (04660/04659) departing on October 23 and 25, respectively. Both trains will feature sleeper and general class coaches, halting at Gonda, Gorakhpur, Chhapra, Sonpur, Hajipur, Barauni, and Khagaria, among others.
A fifth train, the Ludhiana–Patna Reserved Festival Special Express (04664/04663), will operate on October 24 from Ludhiana and return on October 26 from Patna. The train will run via Ambala Cantt, Moradabad, Lucknow, Varanasi, and Pt. Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Junction, offering sleeper and second-class accommodations.
The announcement comes as part of the Railways’ annual festival travel plan to ease passenger congestion and ensure safer journeys during one of the busiest travel periods of the year.