Indian Railways Begins Running Special Trains to Handle Festive Rush for Christmas and New Year; 244 Trips out of Approved 650 Already Notified

Published on: 18 Dec 2025 at 02:58 PM

Published by: Fact News

138 Special Trains Will Cover 650 Trips Over Next One Month

Western Railway Leads With 26 Special Trains and 226 Approved Trips; Central Railway to Operate 18 Trains With 118 Approved Trips

Fact News Service

Chandigarh, December 18: For the Christmas and New Year period of 2025–26, Indian Railways has planned an extensive operation of special trains across nine zones to manage the anticipated surge in passenger traffic. A total of 138 special trains have been planned, with 650 trips proposed and approved, out of which 244 trips have been notified so far.

Among the zones, Western Railway (WR) accounts for the highest share with 26 trains and 226 approved trips, of which 72 trips have been notified. Central Railway (CR) is operating 18 trains with 118 approved trips, and 76 of these trips have already been notified. South Central Railway (SCR) has planned 26 trains with 34 approved trips, and 26 trips notified. South East Central Railway (SECR) is operating 12 trains with 82 approved trips, of which 24 trips are notified.

South Western Railway (SWR) has planned 20 trains with 42 approved trips, including 28 notified trips, while North Western Railway (NWR) will operate 14 trains with 72 approved trips, of which 6 trips are notified. Northern Railway (NR) has planned 18 trains with 66 approved trips, and 8 trips have been notified. North Eastern Railway (NER) has proposed 2 trains with 6 approved trips, though none have been notified yet. Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR) has planned 2 trains with 4 approved trips and all 4 trips already notified.

Summary of Trains Scheduled for Christmas and New Year 2025–26

Railway Zone	No. of Trains	Proposed Trips	Trips Approved	Notified Trips
CR	18	118	118	76
NER	02	06	06	00
NR	18	66	66	08
SCR	26	34	34	26
SECR	12	82	82	24
SWR	20	42	42	28
NWR	14	72	72	06
WR	26	226	226	72
NFR	02	04	04	04
TOTAL	138	650	650	244

On the Mumbai–Goa (Konkan) corridor, daily and weekly specials are being operated between Mumbai CSMT / LTT and Karmali / Madgaon, covering major stops along the way and providing additional seating and sleeper options. Similarly, special services on Mumbai–Nagpur, Pune–Sanganer, and other Maharashtra routes are helping passengers avoid overcrowding on regular trains while providing convenient travel options during the festive period. Across northern and eastern India, special trains on busy corridors connecting Delhi, Howrah, Lucknow, and nearby cities are being run to accommodate long-distance travellers heading home or to holiday destinations.

In the south and central regions, additional services connecting Hyderabad, Bengaluru, Mangaluru, and other cities ensure smooth travel for passengers during this peak period. Specific examples include Train 1151 CSMT–Karmali, Train 1152 Karmali–CSMT, Train 1171 LTT–Thiruvananthapuram, Train 1405 Pune–Sanganer, and Train 1005 CSMT–Nagpur, among others, with each offering multiple trips to meet the festive rush. By running these special trains, Indian Railways is providing additional capacity, comfort, and convenience, helping passengers celebrate Christmas and New Year 2026 without travel stress, while connecting them efficiently to beaches, cities, and holiday destinations across India.