The holiday season is upon us, and with 2026 just around the corner, a lot of people are finalizing their last-minute travel plans to celebrate with friends and family. If you’re among those looking to travel, we have some great news for you. Booking flights at the last moment can be expensive, but Indian Railways has stepped in to make travel more accessible during this festive time.
For the Christmas and New Year period of 2025-26, Indian Railways is operating a substantial number of special trains across eight zones to manage the expected increase in passenger traffic. So far, a total of 244 special train trips have been announced, with more to be added in the upcoming days.
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Here’s a summary of the trips reported by each railway zone.
The Central Railway had the highest number with 76 trips, followed closely by the Western Railway with 72 trips. The South Western Railway had 28 trips, while the South Central Railway had 26. The South East Central Railway noted 24 trips. The Northern Railway reported 8 trips, the North Western Railway had 6 trips, and the North Frontier Railway had 4 trips. In total, there are 244 trips.
Indian Railways Aims To Enhance Travel Capacity And Comfort With These Trains
You must also note that daily and weekly special trains are being run on the Mumbai–Goa (Konkan) corridor to serve passengers traveling between Mumbai CST/LTT and Karmali/Madgaon. These services aim to ease congestion and offer more seating and sleeper options during this busy season.
Moreover, special trains on other routes from Mumbai to Nagpur and Pune to Sanganer, along with various services throughout Maharashtra, are available to provide convenient travel options. Similar arrangements are in place across northern and eastern India, with special services linking Delhi, Howrah, and Lucknow, which help long-distance travelers reach their holiday destinations or return home.
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In the southern and central regions, additional train services connect cities such as Hyderabad, Bengaluru, and Mangaluru, ensuring smooth travel for passengers during this peak time. Noteworthy routes include CSMT to Karmali, LTT to Thiruvananthapuram, and CSMT to Nagpur, among others, with frequent trips to accommodate the festive demand.
This extensive initiative by Indian Railways aims to enhance travel capacity, comfort, and convenience, enabling passengers to enjoy Christmas and New Year 2026 stress-free while connecting them to various destinations across the country.
