SRINAGAR: The Northern Railway’s Jammu division is set to operate three pairs of special trains between Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Katra, Jammu Tawi, Varanasi and New Delhi to meet the expected rush during Dussehra, Diwali and Chhath Puja.
The reserved services, scheduled to run from October, are aimed at providing additional travel options to passengers and easing pressure on regular trains during the festive season.
According to a railway spokesperson, the three services will offer additional connectivity between Jammu, Uttar Pradesh and the national capital, while helping passengers secure confirmed tickets amid increased demand.
The Katra-Varanasi-Katra Special (04604/04603) will make nine trips in each direction.
Train 04604 will depart from Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Katra every Sunday at 6:15 pm from October 4 to November 29. Its return service, train 04603, will leave Varanasi every Tuesday at 4:30 am from October 6 to December 1.
The service will halt at Jammu Tawi, Pathankot Cantt, Jalandhar Cantt, Ludhiana, Ambala Cantt, Saharanpur, Moradabad, Bareilly, Alamnagar, Rae Bareli and Pratapgarh, among other stations.
The second service, Jammu Tawi-Varanasi-Jammu Tawi Special (04610/04609), will also operate nine trips in each direction.
Train 04610 will run every Thursday from October 1 to November 26, while train 04609 will operate every Friday from October 2 to November 27.
The service will provide additional connectivity to passengers travelling through Pathankot, Jalandhar, Ambala, Saharanpur, Moradabad, Shahjahanpur, Lucknow and Sultanpur.
The third service, New Delhi-Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Katra Festival Special (04081/04082), will operate four trips in each direction to cater to the Dussehra rush.
Train 04081 will run on October 8, 9, 10 and 11, while train 04082 will operate on October 9, 10, 11 and 12.
The railway said the special services would provide direct connectivity between New Delhi and Katra, benefiting passengers from Delhi, Haryana and Punjab travelling to the shrine.
The additional trains are expected to ease the burden on regular services and provide relief to passengers facing increased demand for tickets during the festive period.
