Ganesh Chaturthi special trains: WR to run 42 services from Mumbai, bookings start from Aug 9

The trains will halt at several important stations along the Konkan Railway route. Representational Pic

Western Railway (WR) on Friday announced a series of special trains on special fares connecting Mumbai with key routes in Maharashtra, Karnataka and Gujarat to cater to the festive rush during Ganesh Chaturthi.

In a statement, the WR said the special services will operate between September 11 and September 25, with trains running from Mumbai Central, Bandra Terminus, Valsad, Udhna, Vadodara and Vishwamitri to destinations including Thokur, Sawantwadi Road and Ratnagiri.

42 special trips announced

WR will operate a total of 42 special trips across eight train services to clear the extra passenger rush during the Ganpati festival.

The services include:

Mumbai Central - Thokur Weekly Special: 2 trips

Mumbai Central - Sawantwadi Road Special (four days a week): 16 trips

Bandra Terminus - Ratnagiri Weekly Unreserved Special: 4 trips

Valsad - Ratnagiri Weekly Special: 2 trips

Udhna - Ratnagiri Weekly Special: 4 trips

Vadodara - Ratnagiri Weekly Special: 2 trips

Vishwamitri - Ratnagiri Bi-weekly Special: 8 trips

Vishwamitri - Ratnagiri Weekly Special: 4 trips

Special trains to serve Konkan route

The trains will halt at several important stations along the Konkan Railway route, including Panvel, Pen, Roha, Mangaon, Veer, Khed, Chiplun, Sangameshwar Road, Ratnagiri, Rajapur Road, Kankavli, Sindhudurg, Kudal, Sawantwadi Road and other stations, depending on the service.

Some trains will also extend to Thokur in Karnataka, with halts at Madgaon, Karwar, Gokarna Road, Kumta, Murdeshwar, Kundapura, Udupi, Mulki and Surathkal.

AC, sleeper and unreserved coaches available

The special trains will comprise AC 3-tier, Sleeper Class and General Second Class coaches, while select services will also include First AC, AC 2-tier and AC 3-tier Economy coaches.

The Bandra Terminus - Ratnagiri special will operate entirely with General Second Class (unreserved) coaches.

Bookings open from August 9

WR said bookings for Train Nos. 09013, 09019, 09030, 09022, 09114, 09110 and 09124 will open from August 9, 2026, at all Passenger Reservation System (PRS) counters and on the IRCTC website.

Indian Railways to run 112 special train trips for Onam festival

Earlier today, Indian Railways announced 112 special train trips for the upcoming Onam festival season to accommodate the expected rise in passenger demand, significantly increasing the number of festive services compared to last year.

The special trains will operate between August 14 and September 6, connecting Kerala with several major cities across the country and providing additional travel options for passengers returning home for the celebrations.

According to an official statement, Southern Railway will operate 54 of the 112 special services, while the remaining 58 trips will be run by other railway zones.

The additional trains have been introduced to reduce waiting lists, ease congestion on popular routes and ensure smoother travel during one of Kerala's busiest travel seasons.