Passengers in India prefer to get around by train. Indian Railways is among the largest train systems worldwide. One can find trains to/from different Indian cities. There are multiple trains in a day at frequent intervals to some cities. Even though there are abundant trains in India, there is a rush during the festive seasons. During a festival, people from different parts of the country travel to their homes, and the rush on trains increases. To counter the increasing traffic of passengers, Indian Railways launches special trains during a festival. Every year, many special trains are launched during the Diwali holidays. If you aren’t getting a confirmed ticket on a regular train, you can always try booking tickets on a special train. Read on to know some special trains launched by Indian Railways for Diwali 2022.
List of Special Trains for Diwali 2022
Special trains launched for Diwali 2022 are as follows:
Sealdah – Puri Puja Special
To counter the rush of passengers, Puja Special was launched between Sealdah and Puri. It left Sealdah station at 11:50 PM every Saturday and reached Puri station at 09:35 AM (the next day). Sealdah – Puri Puja Special (Train number: 03101) was available between the 1st and 29th of October 2022. Since the train was available only on Saturdays, it was available for five trips. For the return trip (Puri to Sealdah), the train number was 03102. For the return trip, the train left Puri station at 03:50 PM and reached Sealdah at 02:00 AM (the next day). The return train was available between the 2nd and 30th of October 2022 (five trips). The return train from Puri to Sealdah was available only on Sundays.
During its journey from Sealdah to Puri, the train stopped at several points, like Bhattanagar, Kharagpur, Bhadrak, Khurda Road, and Bhubaneshwar. Bookings for Sealdah – Puri Puja Special will be open on the internet. The fare of the special train was a little more than the ordinary rail fare. Also, the tatkal booking option was not available for Sealdah – Puri Puja Special.
Kolkata – Haridwar Puja Special
Before Diwali, many people travel to West Bengal to celebrate Durga Puja. Kolkata – Haridwar Puja Special was launched to counter the rush of Durga Puja. The train (03169) left Kolkata at 11:25 AM and reached Haridwar at 06:00 PM (the next day). The train departed every Saturday from the 8th of October to the 12th of November (6 trips). For the return trip, the train (03170) left Haridwar station at 08:30 PM and reached Kolkata at 03:35 PM (the third day). The return train was available every Sunday from the 9th of October to the 13th of November (6 trips). Kolkata – Haridwar Puja Special had multiple stops between the route, like Naihati, Barddhaman, Asansol, and Madhupur. Booking for this special train was available on the internet, and it had AC coaches too.
Kolkata – Haridwar Suvidha Puja Special
Besides the above train, Kolkata – Haridwar Suvidha Puja Special was launched by Indian Railways to counter the rush of Durga Puja 2022. The train (82315) departed from Kolkata at 11:25 AM and reached Haridwar at 06:00 PM (the next day). For the return trip, the train (82316) departed from Haridwar at 08:30 PM and reached Kolkata at 03:35 AM (the third day). As you can see, the timing for both the special trains between Kolkata and Haridwar was the same.
Howrah – New Jalpaiguri Puja Special
The special train (03027) left Howrah at 11:40 PM and reached New Jalpaiguri at 10:10 AM (the next day). The train departed every Wednesday from the 12th of October to the 30th of November (8 trips). For the return trip, the train (03028) departed New Jalpaiguri at 12:35 PM and reached Howrah at 12:50 AM (the next day). The return train departed only on Thursdays from the 13th of October to the 1st of December 2022.
Another train, Howrah – New Jalpaiguri Suvidha Puja Special was launched between the cities. The train (82301) and the return train (82302) had the same timing as Howrah – New Jalpaiguri Puja Special. Both the trains between Howrah and New Jalpaiguri had general, sleeper, and AC coaches. The special trains stopped at multiple points during their journeys, like Bandel, Azimganj, Malda Town, and Alubari Road.
Howrah – Raxaul Puja Special
The special train (03043) left Howrah at 10:55 PM and reached Raxaul at 02:15 PM (the next day). The train was available only on Saturdays between the 1st of October and the 29th of October 2022 (five trips). The return train (03044) departed Raxaul at 03:45 PM and reached Howrah at 07:30 AM (the next day). The return train was available every Sunday between the 2nd and 30th of October.
Conclusion
Besides the above trains, Indian Railways launches many other special trains during festivals. If you aren’t getting tickets on regular trains, try searching for special trains. Book special train tickets right away!
With the onset of technology, train ticket booking has become very easy—no need to stand in long queues at the railway station. Online train ticket booking is possible with many web portals and apps specializing in ticket bookings. IRCTC train ticket booking can also be made from the official website of IRCTC. You can book tickets and stay updated with its location quickly.
