Railways announces weekly Delhi–Howrah special train for Durga Puja, Diwali and Chhath

Indian Railways has announced a weekly special train between New Delhi and Howrah to manage the expected festive rush during Durga Puja, Diwali and Chhath. The decision comes as regular services on the Delhi–Howrah route are already under heavy demand, with waiting lists crossing 290 on several trains. Some trains and classes have also been marked 'REGRET', indicating that the maximum waiting-list capacity for that class or quota has been reached.

The special service, numbered 04052/04051, will run via Patna Junction and cover a distance of 1,531 km in around 30 hours. It will operate once a week in each direction during the festive season.

Train 04052 will depart New Delhi at 6:15 pm every Friday from October 2 to November 27, 2026, arriving at Howrah at 11:40 pm the following day. In the return direction, train 04051 will leave Howrah at 1:40 am every Sunday from October 4 to November 29, 2026, reaching New Delhi at 8:20 am the next day. Each direction will make nine trips.

En route, the train will halt at Bandel, Barddhaman, Durgapur, Asansol, Chittaranjan, Madhupur, Jasidih, Jhajha, Mokama, Patna Junction, Danapur, Pt Deen Dayal Upadhyaya, Prayagraj and Kanpur Central, among other stations.

The rake will offer General Second Class, Sleeper Class and Air-Conditioned accommodation. Booking for the special train will open shortly, with the date to be notified separately.

Earlier, Eastern Railway's Chief Public Relations Officer, Shivram Majhi, said special trains would be operated on routes witnessing higher passenger demand during the Durga Puja holidays.