Railway announces 5 festival special express trains to clear holiday rush
HARISH MONGA
Ferozepur, October 19, 2025: Northern Railway has announced the operation of five pairs of Festival Special Express trains to manage the anticipated extra rush of passengers during the upcoming festival season. These temporary services will connect key hubs like Firozpur, Ludhiana, Patna, Katihar, and Supaul.
The longest-running special, 04602/04601 Firozpur Cantt (FZR) – Patna Jn (PNBE) – Firozpur Cantt Reserved Festival Special Express, will run for five trips from each end. Train No. 04602 departs FZR every Wednesday from October 22, 2025, to November 19, 2025, at 15:10 hrs, reaching PNBE at 18:00 hrs the next day. The return journey (04601) departs PNBE every Thursday from October 23, 2025, to November 20, 2025, at 20:50 hrs. This train features AC, Sleeper, and General Second Class coaches and includes major stops at Ludhiana (with a reversal), Ambala Cantt, Moradabad, Lucknow, Varanasi, and Pt. Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Jn.
While Ludhiana will serve as the originating point for four special trains connecting to various locations in Bihar. 04656/04655 Ludhiana – Supaul (SOU) – Ludhiana Unreserved Festival Special Express will operate for three trips in each direction. Train No. 04656 will depart LDH on October 22, 23, and 24, 2025, at 11:30 hrs. Its return service (04655) will depart Supaul on October 23, 24, and 25, 2025, at 23:00 hrs. This is an Unreserved General Second Class service.
Two dedicated reserved special trains are scheduled between Ludhiana and Katihar (KIR). 04658 Ludhiana – Katihar Reserved Special Express will run for a single trip on October 22, 2025, departing LDH at 23:35 hrs. 04660 Ludhiana – Katihar Reserved Special Express will also run for a single trip on October 23, 2025, departing LDH at 16:50 hrs. Both services feature Sleeper and Second Class coaches.
Finally, 04664/04663 Ludhiana – Patna Jn (PNBE) – Ludhiana Reserved Festival Special Express will run for a single trip from each end. Train No. 04664 departs LDH on October 24, 2025, at 20:20 hrs, and the return train (04663) departs PNBE on October 26, 2025, at 01:00 hrs.
These special services aim to accommodate the large influx of passengers traveling to and from the festival destinations, ensuring smoother and convenient journeys during the peak holiday travel period, said Himanshu Shekar Upadhyay, Chief Public Relations Officer, Northern Railway.