Central Railway, Western Railway to run 262 special trains during Ganesh Chaturthi festival

Indian Express

a day ago

Written by Naresh S
The Mumbai-headquartered Central Railway and the Western Railway Friday announced that they will operate 262 special trains to handle passenger rush during the upcoming Ganesh Chaturthi festival. While the Central Railway will run 192 special services, the Western Railway has announced 70 such services on Konkan-bound routes.
According to the Central Railway, the services will cover high-demand destinations across the Konkan region, including Sawantwadi Road, Kudal, Ratnagiri, and Pernem. Trains will run from key city stations like Lokmanya Tilak Terminus, Dadar, Panvel, Thane, and Pune. The 192 specials include 40 services between Lokmanya Tilak Terminus and Sawantwadi Road, 24 between Lokmanya Tilak Terminus and Ratnagiri, 24 between Panvel and Kudal, 20 between Panvel and Sawantwadi Road, 36 between Lokmanya Tilak Terminus and Kudal, 18 between Dadar and Ratnagiri, eight each from Thane to Kudal and Sawantwadi Road, eight between Lokmanya Tilak Terminus and Pernem, and six between Pune and Sawantwadi Road.
'The services have been planned keeping in mind the seasonal rush towards the Konkan region and will be operated with additional halts based on demand. Bookings for these trains have already begun through the IRCTC (Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation) website and all computerised reservation centres,' the Central Railway stated in a press release.
Meanwhile, the Western Railway stated it will run 70 Ganpati specials connecting Mumbai with parts of Goa and the southern Konkan coast. This includes 26 services between Bandra Terminus and Madgaon, 22 between Valsad and Sawantwadi Road, and another 22 between Valsad and Kudal.
Railway authorities said these trains will have special fares. They also urged passengers to verify timings and stops through official channels such as the National Train Enquiry System (NTES) app and railway websites before travelling.
Railway authorities from both zones have requested passengers to avoid last-minute bookings and to plan their travel in advance. They also appealed to commuters to cooperate with railway staff during boarding and deboarding, especially at crowded stations along the Konkan stretch.
(Naresh S is an intern with The Indian Express)