Central Railway has announced 418 festival-special services for Puja, Dussehra, Diwali and Chhath 2026. The first reservation batch opened September 27, with another opening September 28. Check train numbers, routes, dates and official booking options.
Passengers planning trips for the Dussehra, Diwali and Chhath 2026 festive season have received hundreds of additional rail services, with Central Railway announcing 418 special train services across routes connecting Mumbai, Pune, Nagpur, Hadapsar and other stations with destinations across India.
Reservations for the first group of notified special trains opened on Sunday, September 27, 2026, while another batch is scheduled to open on Monday, September 28.
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The additional services will operate mainly during October and November 2026, covering high-demand routes towards Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Goa and other regions.
However, passengers should note an important distinction.
Some reports have referred to “102 special trains” for Dussehra and Diwali. Railway reporting on that announcement actually refers to 102 festival-special trips through the Solapur Division, consisting principally of Mumbai–Chennai, Mumbai–Latur and Kolhapur–Kalaburagi services. It does not represent the complete nationwide Indian Railways festival-special programme.
Central Railway's broader announcement covers 418 special services across a much larger set of routes.
Yes, but only for a first batch of notified Central Railway festival specials.
Central Railway's published reservation-opening schedule lists one set of train numbers for September 27 and another for September 28.
Passengers should therefore search the exact train number and journey date on IRCTC instead of assuming that every festival special opened for reservation on September 27.
Book festival train tickets on IRCTC
Indian Railways also allows reserved and unreserved ticketing through the RailOne application. The Ministry of Railways says RailOne combines reservation, unreserved ticketing, PNR and train-enquiry services in one platform.
According to Central Railway's published booking schedule, reservations opening on September 27, 2026 include the following train numbers:
| Train No. | Main route / service |
|---|---|
| 01079 | CSMT Mumbai → Gorakhpur |
| 01015 | CSMT Mumbai → Chennai Beach |
| 01013 | CSMT Mumbai → SMVT Bengaluru |
| 01105 | CSMT Mumbai → Latur |
| 01106 | Latur → CSMT Mumbai |
| 01417 | CSMT Mumbai → Kolhapur |
| 01418 | Kolhapur → CSMT Mumbai |
| 01123 | LTT Mumbai → Mau |
| 01431 | Hadapsar → Ghazipur City |
| 01201 | Nagpur → Hadapsar |
| 01202 | Hadapsar → Nagpur |
Central Railway's reservation notice places these numbers in the September 27 opening group.
Availability can still vary by journey date, class and boarding station.
Central Railway's broader festival-service announcement lists another group for reservation opening on September 28, 2026:
| Train No. | Main route / service |
|---|---|
| 02139 | CSMT Mumbai → Nagpur |
| 02140 | Nagpur → CSMT Mumbai |
| 01463 | LTT → Thiruvananthapuram North |
| 01179 | LTT → Konkan special service |
| 01051 | LTT → Banaras |
| 01403 | Pune → New Amravati |
| 01404 | New Amravati → Pune |
| 01415 | Hadapsar → Gorakhpur |
| 01209 | Nagpur → Hadapsar |
| 01210 | Hadapsar → Nagpur |
| 01451 | Kolhapur → Kalaburagi |
| 01452 | Kalaburagi → Kolhapur |
There have been inconsistent secondary reports about September 27 versus September 28 for a few train numbers. Passengers should therefore treat live IRCTC availability and the latest railway notification as definitive before making travel plans.
Central Railway will operate 64 services between Mumbai CSMT and Gorakhpur.
Train 01079: CSMT → Gorakhpur
Train 01080: Gorakhpur → CSMT
Major stops include Dadar, Thane, Kalyan, Nashik Road, Manmad, Jalgaon, Bhusaval, Khandwa, Itarsi, Bhopal, Jhansi, Kanpur Central, Lucknow, Gonda, Basti and Khalilabad.
A total of 12 weekly AC services are planned.
Train 01015: CSMT → Chennai Beach
Train 01016: Chennai Beach → CSMT
Important stops include Pune, Solapur, Kalaburagi, Raichur, Mantralayam Road, Guntakal, Kadapa, Renigunta, Arakkonam and Perambur.
Central Railway will operate 14 weekly AC services.
Train 01013: CSMT → SMVT Bengaluru
Train 01014: SMVT Bengaluru → CSMT
The trains will serve Pune, Satara, Karad, Sangli, Miraj, Belagavi, Dharwad, Hubballi, Davangere and Tumakuru, among other stations.
This route receives 26 bi-weekly services.
Train 01105: Mumbai → Latur
Train 01106: Latur → Mumbai
Stops include Dadar, Thane, Kalyan, Lonavala, Pune, Daund, Kurduwadi, Barshi Town, Dharashiv and Harangul.
There will be 12 weekly services.
Train 02139: Mumbai → Nagpur
Train 02140: Nagpur → Mumbai
Major halts include Nashik Road, Manmad, Jalgaon, Bhusaval, Akola, Badnera and Wardha.
Central Railway has scheduled 12 weekly services.
Train 01417: CSMT → Kolhapur
Train 01418: Kolhapur → CSMT
Key stops include Pune, Jejuri, Satara, Karad, Sangli and Miraj.
There will be 24 bi-weekly services.
Train 01123: LTT → Mau
Train 01124: Mau → LTT
The route includes Nashik Road, Jalgaon, Bhusaval, Khandwa, Itarsi, Katni, Satna, Prayagraj Chheoki, Varanasi, Jaunpur, Azamgarh and other stations.
Central Railway plans 24 bi-weekly services.
Train 01051: LTT → Banaras
Train 01052: Banaras → LTT
Important halts include Thane, Kalyan, Nashik Road, Jalgaon, Bhusaval, Khandwa, Itarsi, Katni, Satna, Manikpur, Prayagraj Chheoki and Varanasi Junction.
A total of 12 weekly services are planned.
Train 01463
LTT → Thiruvananthapuram North
Train 01464
Thiruvananthapuram North → LTT
The train serves a long Konkan and Kerala corridor including Ratnagiri, Kankavali, Madgaon, Karwar, Mangaluru, Kasaragod, Kannur, Kozhikode, Shoranur, Thrissur, Ernakulam, Kottayam, Kollam and Varkala.
Train 01179 is scheduled from LTT every Friday between October 9 and November 20.
Current railway timetable databases identify 01179 as an LTT–Sawantwadi Road special, while one Central Railway festival report labels the announced service as LTT–Madgaon. Because the destination reporting is inconsistent, passengers should verify train 01179 directly in IRCTC/NTES before booking.
This is particularly important for passengers travelling along the Konkan route.
Central Railway will run 12 weekly AC services.
Train 01403: Pune → New Amravati
Train 01404: New Amravati → Pune
Stops include Ahilyanagar, Belapur, Kopargaon, Manmad, Jalgaon, Bhusaval, Akola and Badnera.
There will be 24 bi-weekly services.
Train 01431: Hadapsar → Ghazipur City
Train 01432: Ghazipur City → Hadapsar
The route passes through Ahilyanagar, Manmad, Bhusaval, Itarsi, Katni, Satna, Prayagraj Chheoki, Varanasi and Jaunpur.
Central Railway plans another 64 daily services.
Train 01415
Hadapsar → Gorakhpur
Train 01416
Gorakhpur → Hadapsar
A total of 26 services are planned.
Train 01201: Nagpur → Hadapsar
Train 01202: Hadapsar → Nagpur
The route includes Wardha, Badnera, Akola, Bhusaval, Jalgaon, Manmad, Kopargaon, Ahilyanagar and Uruli.
Another 14 weekly services will operate.
Train 01209
Nagpur → Hadapsar
Train 01210
Hadapsar → Nagpur
This route accounts for the largest single block in the Solapur Division announcement, with 64 services.
Train 01451
Kolhapur → Kalaburagi
Train 01452
Kalaburagi → Kolhapur
Stops include Miraj, Sangola, Pandharpur, Kurduwadi and Solapur.
An earlier Solapur Division-based report said reservations for the 102-trip group would open September 27. A later broader Central Railway booking list places 01451 and 01452 in the September 28 batch.
Passengers booking these two trains should therefore check the live IRCTC reservation system rather than relying on an older booking-date report.
Several news reports use the phrase “102 special trains”.
The underlying railway announcement refers more precisely to 102 special train trips/services through Solapur Division:
Total: 102 trips
These are not 102 different train numbers.
This distinction is useful for passengers because a weekly train running six times in each direction can account for 12 “services” even though only two train numbers are involved.
No.
The 418-service figure concerns Central Railway's announced festival-special programme, not the complete number of special trains being run by all Indian Railways zones.
Other zones—including Northern Railway, Western Railway, Southern Railway and others—may separately announce additional festival services.
Passengers outside the routes listed here should therefore search their exact origin, destination and date rather than assuming this is the complete national list.
Passengers can reserve eligible special trains through:
Open the official IRCTC train booking page
The official RailOne application supports reserved as well as unreserved railway ticketing and integrates PNR and train enquiry services.
Passengers can also reserve seats through authorised railway PRS counters.
For train timings and live railway information, passengers can use Indian Railways passenger enquiry and NTES services.
Because special trains may not appear if an incorrect date is selected:
IRCTC's official e-ticket guidance says passengers can search trains by origin/destination, choose the available class and check availability before selecting Book Now.
Some festival-special trains operate on special charges, meaning fares can differ from comparable regular services.
Passengers should rely on the fare displayed on IRCTC at the time of booking because price can vary by:
The Solapur Division announcement specifically states that the relevant festival specials are subject to special charges.
Demand around Dussehra, Diwali and Chhath can be extremely high on major routes.
Festival specials add capacity, but they do not guarantee confirmed berths.
Passengers planning travel should consider:
Avoid buying tickets through unauthorised agents.
Festival-train announcements change quickly.
A headline saying “Mumbai to Chennai special” is less reliable for booking than the exact train number because:
Passengers should therefore save the train number first.
As of September 27:
When did Diwali special train booking start in 2026?
For a major batch of Central Railway festival specials, reservations opened on September 27, 2026. Another group is scheduled to open on September 28.
Are there 102 Dussehra and Diwali special trains?
The widely reported 102 figure refers to 102 special trips/services through Solapur Division, not 102 distinct train numbers.
How many festival special services has Central Railway announced?
Central Railway announced 418 services for the Puja, Diwali and Chhath 2026 travel period.
Where can I book Diwali special train tickets?
Use the official IRCTC website, RailOne application or an authorised railway Passenger Reservation System counter.
Can I book special trains through RailOne?
Yes. The Ministry of Railways says RailOne supports reserved and unreserved ticket booking along with other passenger services.
Are all special trains open for booking on September 27?
No. Central Railway's announcement divides reservation openings between September 27 and September 28.
When will the Mumbai–Chennai special run?
Train 01015 is scheduled every Wednesday from October 14 to November 18, while return train 01016 operates every Thursday from October 15 to November 19.
When does the Mumbai–Latur special operate?
Train 01105 and return service 01106 are scheduled on Tuesdays and Thursdays from October 13 to November 24.
When does the Mumbai–Bengaluru festival train operate?
Train 01013 runs Saturdays from October 10 to November 21, with return service 01014 running Sundays from October 11 to November 22.
How can I check current train timing?
Use Indian Railways' passenger enquiry/NTES services or RailOne before beginning the journey.
Will more Diwali special trains be announced?
Additional railway zones can announce services independently as demand develops. Passengers should continue checking official railway channels for their particular route.
Central Railway has announced 418 festival-special services for Puja, Dussehra, Diwali and Chhath 2026. The first reservation batch opened September 27, with another opening September 28.
The widely quoted “102 special trains” refers to trips through Solapur Division, not 102 distinct trains. Book via IRCTC, RailOne or authorised PRS counters and always verify the exact train number and date.
Diwali & Dussehra special train booking open.
418 Central Railway services for festive travel.
First batch Sept 27; second batch Sept 28.
Verify train number on IRCTC before booking.
The Rajatheertha Team publishes news, explainers, guides and updates across India and the world. Our coverage follows Rajatheertha's editorial, verification and corrections standards.
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