Bengaluru: With the expected rush of passengers during the festival season in October and November, Indian Railways has decided to offer special train services between Bengaluru and Mumbai as well as Bengaluru and Visakhapatnam for those who need to travel.
The railways said they introduced the special trains to serve the large number of travelers to major cities on festivals and holidays and had to plan for high-demand train tickets. Many of them will travel between cities on festivals, family events, and holidays.
Bengaluru–Mumbai Special Train
According to the railway schedule, Train No. 01013 CSMT Mumbai-SMVT Bengaluru Special will operate every Saturday from October 10 to November 21. The train will leave from Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus (CSMT), Mumbai at 12:35 AM and arrive at Sir M. Visvesvaraya Terminal (SMVT), Bengaluru at 11:55 PM on the same day.
Similarly, Train No. 01014 SMVT Bengaluru–CSMT Mumbai Special will run every Sunday from October 11 to November 22. The train will leave SMVT Bengaluru at 4:30 AM and reach CSMT Mumbai at 4:05 AM the following day.
Railways has planned seven trips in each direction for these special services. The trains will stop at several important stations like Dadar, Thane, Kalyan, Lonavala, Pune, Lonand, Satara, Karad, Sangli, Miraj, Kudachi, Raybag, Ghataprabha, Belagavi, Londa, Dharwad, SSS Hubballi, Haveri, Ranebennur, Harihar, Davanagere, Birur, Arsikere, and Tumakuru.
The special train will consist of 22 coaches, including:
2 AC 2-Tier coaches
18 AC 3-Tier coaches
2 Luggage-cum-Guard-cum-Generator vans
The additional capacity should be beneficial to long-distance travelers who are going to Maharashtra and Karnataka during the festive season.
Bengaluru–Visakhapatnam Special Train
Railways has also introduced a special train service connecting Visakhapatnam and Bengaluru.
Train No. 08583 Visakhapatnam–SMVT Bengaluru Special will run every Tuesday from October 6 to November 24. The train will leave Visakhapatnam at 7:00 PM and arrive at SMVT Bengaluru at 12:45 PM the next day.
Train No. 08584 SMVT Bengaluru–Visakhapatnam Special will operate every Wednesday from October 7 to November 25. The train will leave SMVT Bengaluru at 3:50 PM and reach Visakhapatnam at 1:30 PM the next day.
The train will pass through many major stations including Duvvada, Anakapalle, Samalkot, Rajahmundry, Eluru, Vijayawada, Ongole, Nellore, Gudur, Renigunta, Katpadi, Jolarpettai, Bangarapet, and KR Puram.
Relief for Festival Travelers
The news is a relief to passengers planning tours during the festivity. Due to the high demand for train tickets traditionally surging around Dasara, Deepavali, and other festivals, these special services are expected to reduce the waiting list and make it possible for people to travel to more places as well.
For instance, railway officials had advised passengers to book their tickets early through authorized railway booking platforms to avoid being stuck in the last-minute rush and to confirm the tickets. The special trains should see high demand during festival season as festival travel is expected to increase in the coming weeks.
