Railways to run 12,000 special trains this festive season: Vaishnaw

Vaishnaw also highlighted an improvement in punctuality, with over 90 percent of trains in 29 divisions, including Malda, Jaipur, Bikaner and Ratlam, arriving on time.

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, Updated At : 03:18 AM Sep 24, 2025 IST

Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw on Tuesday said that the Indian Railways was set to operate a record 12,000 special trains during the upcoming festive season, nearly double the number from last year.Vaishnaw noted that in 2023, around 7,500 special trains were run during Chhath and Diwali, which drew “very good feedback” from across the country. “Now, with 4,500 kilometres of new tracks being added every year, a robust locomotive production of 1,600 units, higher than both the US and Europe and 7,500 new coaches under production, the Railways’ capacity has increased significantly. This year, we have set a target of 12,000 special trains, which is a record,” he said.

According to the minister, 10,000 of these trains have already been notified well before the peak travel period of October, a first in the Railways’ history. He added that 150 unreserved trains will also be kept for last-minute rapid deployment, with 50 more to be notified in the coming days.

"The peak movement is expected to begin after October 15 and continue till November 10 across the country," he said.

Vaishnaw also highlighted an improvement in punctuality, with over 90 percent of trains in 29 divisions, including Malda, Jaipur, Bikaner and Ratlam, arriving on time. Railways has a total of 70 divisions nationwide. “This is a significant change after 60–70 years,” he said.

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#Chhath #FestiveSeason #OnTimeTrains #RailwayCapacity #RailwaysIndia #SpecialTrains #TrainTravel #TrainUpdates Diwali indianrailways

Railways to run 12,000 special trains this festive season: Vaishnaw

Vaishnaw also highlighted an improvement in punctuality, with over 90 percent of trains in 29 divisions, including Malda, Jaipur, Bikaner and Ratlam, arriving on time.

Tribune News Service

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