Ganesh Chaturthi: Indian Railways To Run 380 Special Trains; Check Zone-Wise Details

New Delhi: The sound of drums, the fragrance of flowers and the arrival of Ganpati Bappa. The festival season has begun. And therefore, the Indian Railways has rolled out its largest ever plan for the festival season. A record 380 Ganpati Special train trips will be operated in 2025, as announced by ministry on August 21.

The festival season always brings a heavy rush on trains, and Ganpati travel in Maharashtra and the Konkan belt has long remained a challenge. In 2023, Indian Railways managed 305 special trips. In 2024, the number increased to 358. This year, the count has touched 380, setting a new benchmark.

The responsibility has been divided across zones. The Central Railway will run the maximum number of services. A total of 296 trains will be managed by the zone, as most of the demand comes from Maharashtra and the Konkan region.

The Western Railway has been assigned 56 trips. The Konkan Railway Corporation Limited (KRCL) will handle 6 trips. The South Western Railway will put 22 trips in service.

The Ganpati puja will be celebrated from August 27 to September 6. The festive crowd begins building weeks before. To handle this surge, the Indian Railways began operating Ganpati Special services from August 11. More trains are being phased in as the festival dates get closer.

A large section of the extra services will run through the Konkan Railway. Halts have been provided at Kolad, Indapur, Mangaon, Goregaon Road, Veer, Sape Warmne, Karanjadi, Vinhere, Diwankhavati, Kalambani Budruk, Khed, Anjani, Chiplun, Kamathe, Sawarda, Aravali Road, Sangameshwar Road, Ratnagiri, Adavali, Vilavade, Rajapur Road, Vaibhavwadi Road, Nandgaon Road, Kankavali, Sindhudurg, Kudal, Zarap, Sawantwadi Road, Madure, Thivim, Karmali, Madgaon Junction, Karwar, Gokama Road, Kumta, Murdeshwar, Mookambika Road, Kundapura, Udupi, Mulki and Surathkal.

These halts are aimed at covering towns and pilgrimage points that see massive inflows of devotees.

Passengers will be able to access detailed schedules through multiple channels. Passengers can check the IRCTC website, use the RailOne app or walk up to computerised PRS counters.

The Indian Railways has highlighted its focus on safety and convenience during the festival rush. Officials have stressed that the system remains committed to handling record crowds smoothly.

With the highest ever number of special trips lined up, the 2025 Ganpati travel season is set to become the busiest ever for the railways.