New Delhi: Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw on Wednesday announced several new train services for the convenience of the people of Bihar, including more than 12,000 special trains for Diwali and Chhath festivals.
He said that after discussions with state leaders about the travel needs of the people, the ministry worked out not only new trains but several other schemes and infrastructure projects.
According to Vaishnaw, four new Amrit Bharat trains will be launched to connect Delhi and Gaya, Saharsa and Amritsar, Chhapra and Delhi, as well as Muzaffarpur and Hyderabad for the convenience of general class passengers.
Vaishnaw also announced several initiatives that the Railway Ministry has taken for the convenience of people of Bihar travelling to destinations across the country by train.
He said that the Railway Ministry has also planned to launch a special Buddha Circuit Train from Vaishali, connecting key heritage destinations related to Lord Buddha. The train will cover Hajipur, Patliputra, Nalanda, Rajgir, Gaya, among other tourism spots.
The Railway Minister further said that a new Vande Bharat Express will be introduced between Purnea and Patna, and a new Amrit Bharat train will be launched to connect Delhi and Gaya for general class passengers.
The announcement came after Bihar NDA leaders met Vaishnaw in the national capital to review railway arrangements for the upcoming Diwali and Chhath festivals. The leaders presented the state’s urgent connectivity needs, while the Minister assured them of several important railway projects to enhance Bihar’s rail network.
Earlier this month, the ministry rolled out an experimental “Round Trip Package for Festival Rush” scheme to ease congestion and improve travel experience during the upcoming festive season.
According to the notification, the Indian Railways will offer a 20 per cent rebate on the base fare of the return journey for passengers booking a round trip starting October 13. The scheme applies to onward travel between October 13 and 26, with the return journey falling between November 17 and December 1. Diwali falls on October 21 and Chhath Pooja on October 28, followed by the peak wedding season.
The scheme aims to spread out passenger traffic during the festive season by incentivising early and structured booking of both onward and return journeys. It encourages balanced utilisation of trains from both directions during periods when one-way demand is much higher.
