Patna: With passenger demand expected to surge during Durga Puja, Diwali and Chhath, the Railways has announced 18 Puja Special trains on various routes, several of which will pass through Bihar and stop at major stations including Jhajha.
The special services will connect Bihar with major cities such as Howrah, Sealdah, Asansol and Delhi, providing additional capacity during the festive travel season.
Howrah-Raxaul specials
According to Ashish Kumar Singh, Information Officer of the Asansol Division, Train No. 03041 Howrah-Raxaul Puja Special will operate every Thursday from October 15 to November 26. Train No. 03042 Raxaul-Howrah Special will run every Friday from October 16 to November 27.
The two services will make seven trips in each direction.
Another pair, Train No. 03043 Howrah-Raxaul Special and Train No. 03044 Raxaul-Howrah Special, will operate every Saturday and Sunday respectively from October 17 to November 29.
Sealdah, Asansol and Kolkata services
The Railways will also operate Sealdah-Patna (03135/03136), Sealdah-Sitamarhi (03133/03134) and Sealdah-Gorakhpur (03131/03132) Puja Special trains. These services will have scheduled stops at major stations, including Jhajha.
The Kolkata-Madhubani Special (03185/03186 and 03187/03188) services will also pass through Jhajha.
The Asansol-Patna Special (03511/03512) will run via Jhajha, while the Asansol-Gorakhpur Special (03527/03528) will also have a scheduled halt at Jhajha.
The special trains will have General Second Class, Sleeper and Air-Conditioned coaches. The Railways will announce the opening date for ticket bookings separately.
Daily Delhi-Bhagalpur Festival Special
In another major festive-season arrangement, the Railways will run a daily reserved Festival Special Express between Delhi and Bhagalpur.
Train No. 04062 Delhi-Bhagalpur Festival Special will operate daily from Delhi between October 10 and November 25, 2026. Its return service, Train No. 04061 Bhagalpur-Delhi Festival Special, will operate daily from Bhagalpur between October 12 and November 27.
The service will make 47 trips in each direction, providing additional capacity for passengers travelling towards Lakhisarai, Kiul, Abhaipur, Jamalpur and Bhagalpur.
Stops at Kiul and Abhaipur
On the Delhi-Bhagalpur journey, the train will reach Kiul Junction at 10:15 am and depart at 10:20 am. It will subsequently arrive at Abhaipur at 10:41 am and leave at 10:43 am before continuing towards Bhagalpur via Jamalpur and Sultanganj.
On the return journey, the train will reach Abhaipur at 6:14 pm and depart at 6:16 pm. It will arrive at Kiul Junction at 7:05 pm and leave at 7:10 pm for Delhi.
The train will cover approximately 1,220 km and comprise 24 ICF/LHB coaches.
Madhubani-Kolkata service via Samastipur
A special train will also connect Madhubani and Kolkata via Samastipur during the festive period.
The 03185/86 Madhubani-Kolkata Express will operate during the scheduled period from October 13 to November 24, with the return Kolkata-Madhubani service operating on Tuesdays, according to the information provided by the Railways.
The Madhubani service will depart at 5:20 pm, reach Samastipur at 7:30 pm and subsequently arrive in Kolkata at 12:45 am.
The train will operate via Darbhanga, Barauni, Jhajha, Jasidih and Asansol.
Raxaul-Howrah service
The 03041/42 Raxaul-Howrah Express will also operate during the festive period. The train will depart from Raxaul at 5:45 pm, reach Samastipur at 10:10 pm and Barauni at 11:45 pm, before arriving at Howrah at 12:15 am the following day.
The Raxaul-Howrah and Madhubani-Kolkata services will have the same coach composition: four AC coaches, 10 Sleeper coaches and six General coaches.
The additional services are aimed at accommodating the expected surge in passenger traffic during the festive season and providing more travel options for people travelling to and from Bihar.
