Patna: Indian Railways has announced the operation of several special trains to manage the surge in passenger traffic during the summer holiday season, offering relief to travellers across eastern India.
The special services will run on routes connecting key cities such as Kolkata, Bhubaneswar, Patna, Malda Town and Asansol, benefiting passengers from Bihar, Jharkhand, West Bengal and Odisha.
The 08401 Bhubaneswar–Kolkata Special will operate every Tuesday from April 14 to April 28, departing Bhubaneswar at 12:50am and reaching Kolkata at 9:15am. Its return service, 08402 Kolkata–Bhubaneswar Special, will leave at 5:10pm and arrive at 12:45am.
Similarly, the 08871 Itwari–Malda Town Special will run on April 19, 20 and 26, while the 08872 Malda Town–Itwari Special will operate on April 20, 21 and 27, improving connectivity on this route.
Passengers travelling along the Bhagalpur corridor are expected to benefit significantly from the 03204 Kiul–Malda Town MEMU Special, which will run daily from April 13 to April 30. The train will depart from Kiul at 6:10am and arrive in Malda Town at 3:00pm. The return service, 03203 Malda Town–Kiul MEMU, will leave at 4:00pm and reach Kiul at 1:00am.
The MEMU train will halt at key stations including New Farakka, Barharwa, Sahibganj, Kahalgaon, Bhagalpur, Sultanganj, Jamalpur and Abhaypur.
Another daily service, the Patna–Asansol MEMU Special, will also run from April 13 to April 30. Train 03202 will depart Patna at 4:35am and reach Asansol at 12:45pm, while the return service 03201 will leave at 1:45pm and arrive in Patna at 10:10pm. The train will also stop at Barhiya and Lakhisarai.
Railway officials said the additional services are aimed at ensuring smoother travel and reducing congestion during the peak summer travel period.
