During various festivals in India, railway stations are among the busiest places in the country. To manage the increased passenger demand during festival days, railway zones often introduce special trains, such as Deepavali special trains, Holi special trains and Ganpati special trains - on routes where regular trains may not have enough seats. These services are useful for passengers travelling home for festivals, family functions or holidays.
In 2026, Central Railway announced 246 services for the Ganpati festival, mainly connecting Mumbai and Pune with destinations in the Konkan region. Here are a few things you must know about Indian Railway special trains:
These temporary railway services are introduced to handle extra passenger demand during the Ganpati festival.
They run for a few days, a week, or a fixed number of trips before and after the festival.
They can have different train numbers, routes, timings, and stoppages from regular trains. Therefore, check the schedule for your exact journey date before booking.
The special train timetable can change depending on the route, operating zone and running date.
Here’s a detailed special trains list announced by the Central Railway for the Ganesh Chaturthi festival
Train No. 01103/01104
Route: CSMT ↔ Sawantwadi Road
Type/Frequency: Daily special
Running dates: 01103 runs from September 11 to 26, 2026; 01104 runs from September 12 to 27, 2026
Departure: 01103 – 3:30 PM; 01104 – 4:35 AM
Arrival: 01103 – 4:00 AM the next day; 01104 – 4:40 PM
Train No. 01151/01152
Route: CSMT ↔ Sawantwadi Road
Type/Frequency: Daily special
Running dates: September 11 to 27, 2026
Departure: 01151 – 12:25 AM; 01152 – 3:35 PM
Arrival: 01151 – 2:20 PM; 01152 – 4:35 AM the next day
Train No. 01153/01154
Route: CSMT ↔ Ratnagiri
Type/Frequency: Daily special
Running dates: 01153 runs from September 11 to 26, 2026; 01154 runs from September 12 to 27, 2026
Departure: 01153 – 11:30 AM; 01154 – 4:00 AM
Arrival: 01153 – 8:25 PM; 01154 – 1:30 PM
Train No. 01171/01172
Route: LTT ↔ Sawantwadi Road
Type/Frequency: Daily special
Running dates: September 11 to 27, 2026
Departure: 01171 – 8:20 AM; 01172 – 10:35 PM
Arrival: 01171 – 9:00 PM; 01172 – 11:25 AM the next day
Train No. 01131/01132
Route: LTT ↔ Sawantwadi Road
Type/Frequency: Bi-weekly special
Running dates: September 17 to 27, 2026, on Thursdays and Sundays
Departure: 01131 – 8:45 AM; 01132 – 11:20 PM
Arrival: 01131 – 10:10 PM; 01132 – 11:45 AM the next day
Train No. 01129/01130
Route: LTT ↔ Sawantwadi Road
Type/Frequency: Weekly special
Running dates: September 15 and 22, 2026
Departure: 01129 – 8:45 AM; 01130 – 11:20 PM
Arrival: 01129 – 10:10 PM; 01130 – 11:45 AM the next day
Train No. 01167/01168
Route: LTT ↔ Ratnagiri
Type/Frequency: Five days a week
Running dates: 01167 runs from September 12 to 26, 2026; 01168 runs from September 13 to 27, 2026
Departure: 01167 – 9:00 PM; 01168 – 3:15 PM
Arrival: 01167 – 5:00 AM the next day; 01168 – 12:40 AM the next day
Train No. 01165/01166
Route: LTT ↔ Madgaon
Type/Frequency: Weekly AC special
Running dates: September 15 and 22, 2026
Departure: 01165 – 12:45 AM; 01166 – 4:30 PM
Arrival: 01165 – 2:30 PM; 01166 – 7:10 AM the next day
Train No. 01185/01186
Route: LTT ↔ Madgaon
Type/Frequency: Weekly special
Running dates: September 16 and 23, 2026
Departure: 01185 – 12:45 AM; 01186 – 4:30 PM
Arrival: 01185 – 2:30 PM; 01186 – 7:10 AM the next day
Train No. 01445/01446
Route: Pune ↔ Ratnagiri
Type/Frequency: AC weekly special
Running dates: September 15 and 22, 2026
Departure: 01445 – 12:25 AM; 01446 – 5:50 PM
Arrival: 01445 – 11:50 AM; 01446 – 5:20 AM the next day
Train No. 01447/01448
Route: Pune ↔ Ratnagiri
Type/Frequency: Weekly special
Running dates: September 12, 19 and 26, 2026
Departure: 01447 – 12:25 AM; 01448 – 5:50 PM
Arrival: 01447 – 11:50 AM; 01448 – 5:20 AM the next day
Train No. 01155/01156
Route: Diva ↔ Khed
Type/Frequency: Daily unreserved MEMU
Running dates: September 11 to 27, 2026, except September 22
Departure: 01155 – 7:15 AM; 01156 – 4:00 PM
Arrival: 01155 – 2:35 PM; 01156 – 10:50 PM
Train No. 01133/01134
Route: Diva ↔ Chiplun
Type/Frequency: Daily unreserved MEMU
Running dates: September 11 to 27, 2026, with the return service continuing through September 28
Departure: 01133 – 1:40 PM; 01134 – 7:30 AM
Arrival: 01133 – 9:30 PM; 01134 – 1:00 PM
Once you have selected the route and travel date for a Ganpati special train, you can book your train ticket through redRail in a few simple steps.
Here’s how you can book your tickets using the redRail platform:
Open redRail: Visit the redBus website and go ito the redRail section or open the redRail app.
Enter Journey Details: Add your boarding station, destination, and travel date. Tap “Search Trains” to see available services.
Choose a Train: Check the available trains, departure and arrival times, travel class, fare and seat availability. Select the service that suits your journey.
Fill in the Details: Fill in passenger details including name, age, etc.
Log In: Sign in with your IRCTC user ID. If you do not have an account, you can create one.
Make Payment: Select an available payment method and complete the transaction securely.
Confirm the Booking: Enter your IRCTC password when asked. After successful confirmation, the e-ticket will be sent to your registered mobile number and email address.
Conclusion
Special trains introduced during the festival season can make festival travel easier, especially when regular trains are crowded or tickets are difficult to find. If you are travelling during Ganpati Chaturthi, make sure to check the special train timetable and availability before booking. Since these services operate for a limited period, planning early can help you find a suitable train and travel date.
redRail is an IRCTC-authorised partner that lets you search trains, check seat availability, book tickets and track PNR status online. It also offers features such as live running status, Alternate Trip, and selected Free Cancellation options. These tools can be useful when regular services are crowded during festival travel.
For regular reserved bookings, tickets can generally be booked up to 60 days before the journey date, excluding the day of travel. However, temporary services are usually announced later and may follow different reservation-opening dates. Therefore, it is important to check the booking window for the specific service.