Bhubaneswar: To meet the surge in passenger demand during the festive season, the East Coast Railway (ECoR) has announced to operate 14 additional Puja Special trains across various destinations. These special trains are in addition to the 27 pairs of trains already running from ECoR’s jurisdiction to multiple parts of the country.
According to an ECoR release on Saturday, the total number of trips planned for the festive period stands at 1,134, catering to over 5.32 lakh additional passengers. The trains will operate until the last week of November, offering extra capacity during the peak travel times of Durga Puja, Diwali, and Chhath Puja.
The special trains will operate from major stations under ECoR’s jurisdiction, connecting Bhubaneswar, Puri, Sambalpur, Visakhapatnam, Berhampur, Srikakulam, and Cuttack to popular destinations such as Dhanbad, Bengaluru, Patna, Delhi, Surat, Gwalior, Hyderabad, Secunderabad, Chennai, and more.
The ECoR has encouraged passengers to check the updated schedules and availability of seats through the National Train Enquiry System (NTES), East Coast Railway’s social media platforms, and PRS enquiry counters at railway stations.
Special Trains from Key Stations:
- Bhubaneswar: To Dhanbad (Jharkhand) and Yesvantpur (Bengaluru)
- Puri: To Patna, Delhi (Nizamuddin), Surat, Gwalior, Kolkata, and other destinations
- Sambalpur: To Erode (Kerala)
- Visakhapatnam: To Secunderabad, Bengaluru, Tirupati, Chennai, Kollam, and Shalimar
- Berhampur: To Nanded, Secunderabad, and Surat
- Srikakulam: To Secunderabad and Tirupati
- Cuttack: To Hyderabad
These additional services are expected to relieve the strain on regular train services, ensuring smoother travel experiences for passengers.