Chandigarh: With Diwali and Chhath Puja triggering a surge in travel to Bihar and Uttar Pradesh, the Railways has announced four festival special trains from Chandigarh to cater to the seasonal rush. The additional services are aimed at easing congestion on some of the busiest migrant travel routes, where waiting lists often run into hundreds during the festive season.The special trains will connect Chandigarh with Barauni, Patna and Varanasi, while a Firozpur-Purnia special will also pass through Chandigarh, providing an additional travel option for passengers heading to Bihar.Railway officials said bookings for all services have been opened through the IRCTC portal and reservation counters. The trains will operate during the peak festive period when demand for tickets traditionally outstrips availability on regular services.Chandigarh-Barauni Festival SpecialTrain no. 04535 will leave Chandigarh at 11.45pm on Fridays from Nov 27 and reach Barauni at 12.30am on Sunday. The return service, train no. 04536, will depart from Barauni at 2.35am on Sundays from Nov 29 and arrive in Chandigarh at 3.35am on Monday.The train will run via Ambala, Moradabad, Gorakhpur, Siwan, Chhapra and Hajipur.Chandigarh-Patna Festival SpecialTrain no. 04511 will depart from Chandigarh at 11.35pm on Thursdays and reach Patna at 9.15pm the following day. In the opposite direction, train no. 04512 will leave Patna at 11.15 pm on Fridays and reach Chandigarh at 9.40pm the next day.The service will operate through Varanasi, Pandit Deen Dayal Upadhyay Junction (DDU), Buxar and Ara.Chandigarh-Varanasi Festival SpecialThe Chandigarh-Varanasi special will run twice a week on Mondays and Fridays. It will leave Chandigarh at 6am and reach Varanasi at 12.55am the next day.On the return journey, the train will depart from Varanasi at 11.05am on Sundays and Thursdays and reach Chandigarh at 4.20am the following day.Major stoppages include Ambala, Saharanpur, Roorkee, Moradabad, Bareilly and Lucknow.Firozpur-Purnia Special via ChandigarhThe Firozpur-Purnia festival special will provide another direct rail link between Punjab and Bihar. The train will depart from Chandigarh at 11.55pm on Thursdays from Oct 29 and reach Purnia the following morning.The return service will leave Purnia at 6am on Sundays and arrive in Chandigarh at 10.40am the next day.
