Indian Railways to run 102 festive special trains for Dussehra and Diwali

Indian Railways has announced 102 special trains to handle the extra rush of passengers expected during Dussehra and Diwali. The services, routed largely through the Solapur Division, are meant to improve links to Mumbai, Chennai, Latur, Kolhapur and Kalaburagi.

Mumbai–Chennai weekly special

A weekly special will connect Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus (CSMT) Mumbai with Chennai Beach, running six trips in each direction. The return service will leave Chennai Beach at 04:00 hrs every Thursday. The trains will operate from October 15 to November 19, with the northbound leg reaching Mumbai at 04:00 hrs the next day. Key halts include Dadar, Thane, Pune, Solapur, Kalaburagi, Guntakal, Renigunta and Perambur.

CSMT Mumbai–Latur bi-weekly services

A bi-weekly special between Mumbai and Latur will make 13 trips each way. The CSMT Mumbai–Latur train will depart Mumbai at 00:35 hrs on Tuesdays and Thursdays between October 13 and November 24, arriving in Latur at 11:40 hrs the same day. In the reverse direction, the Latur–CSMT Mumbai service will leave Latur at 16:30 hrs on the same days and reach Mumbai at 04:10 hrs the following morning. It will halt at Kalyan, Lonavala, Pune, Daund, Kurduwadi and Dharashiv.

Kolhapur–Kalaburagi special

A near-daily service will run six days a week, excluding Fridays, between Kolhapur and Kalaburagi, covering 32 trips in each direction, or 64 in total. The Kolhapur–Kalaburagi train will depart Kolhapur at 06:10 hrs from October 10 to November 15 and reach Kalaburagi at 16:10 hrs. The return service will leave Kalaburagi at 18:10 hrs and arrive in Kolhapur at 05:40 hrs the next day. Halts include Miraj Junction, Sangola, Pandharpur, Kurduwadi and Solapur.

Booking details

Reservations for the festive specials will open on 27 September 2026. Tickets will be charged at special rates and can be booked through the IRCTC website, computerised railway reservation centres and the RailOne mobile application. Passengers have been advised to book early and carry valid tickets. For real-time updates and detailed halt timings, travellers can check the National Train Enquiry System portal or the RailOne app.