Diwali & Pooja Special Trains 2026 Announced by Southern Railway

Southern Railway has announced the operation of several Express Special Trains (Trains on Demand) to clear the extra rush of passengers during the upcoming Pooja and Diwali festival season in 2026. These special trains will connect major destinations across India, including Thiruvananthapuram, Santragachi, Madar Jn, Podanur, Barauni, Ernakulam, and Patna. Advance reservations for all these festival specials will commence at 08:00 hrs on 20.09.2026. 

Special Train Route and Schedule Details

To assist travelers planning their festive journeys, the detailed routes, operation days, and coach configurations of the special trains have been summarized below:

Train No. & Name	From	To	Frequency / Running Dates	Coach Composition
06081/06082 Thiruvananthapuram North - Santragachi - Thiruvananthapuram North Express Special	Thiruvananthapuram North	Santragachi	06081: Fridays (02, 09, 16, 23, 30 Oct 2026) 06082: Mondays (05, 12, 19, 26 Oct & 02 Nov 2026)	18 AC Three Tier, 2 Luggage cum Brake Vans
06013/06014 Thiruvananthapuram Central – Madar Jn - Thiruvananthapuram Central Express Special	Thiruvananthapuram Central	Madar Jn	06013: Wednesdays (21, 28 Oct, 04, 11, 18, 25 Nov 2026) 06014: Saturdays (24, 31 Oct, 07, 14, 21, 28 Nov 2026)	1 AC Two Tier, 4 AC Three Tier, 13 AC Three Tier Economy, 2 Luggage cum Brake Vans
06021/06022 Podanur – Barauni - Podanur Express Special	Podanur	Barauni	06021: Sundays (04, 11, 18, 25 Oct & 01 Nov 2026) 06022: Wednesdays (07, 14, 21, 28 Oct & 04 Nov 2026)	3 AC First Class cum AC Two Tier, 1 AC Two Tier, 14 Sleeper, 4 General, 2 Second Class (Divyangjan)
06085/06086 Ernakulam Jn – Patna – Ernakulam Jn Express Special	Ernakulam Jn	Patna	06085: Fridays (02, 09, 16, 23, 30 Oct 2026) 06086: Tuesdays (06, 13, 20, 27 Oct, 03 Nov 2026)	2 AC First Class cum AC Two Tier, 4 AC Three Tier, 10 Sleeper, 6 General, 2 Luggage

Route Halts, Timings, or Alternate Arrangements

The major timing highlights and key halt stations for these festival special trains are detailed below:

• Train No. 06081/06082 (Thiruvananthapuram North - Santragachi Special): Departs Thiruvananthapuram North at 14:15 hrs on Friday and reaches Santragachi at 13:45 hrs on Sunday. In return direction, Train No. 06082 departs Santragachi at 14:15 hrs on Monday and reaches Thiruvananthapuram North at 09:55 hrs on Wednesday. Key stoppages include Kollam, Kayankulam, Mavelikkara, Chengannur, Tiruvalla, Changanassery, Kottayam, Ernakulam Town, Aluva, Thrissur, Palakkad, Podanur, Tiruppur, Erode, Salem, Jolarpettai, Katpadi, Tiruttani, Renigunta, Gudur, Nellore, Ongole, Vijayawada, Rajahmundry, Duvvada, Vizianagaram, Brahmapur, Khurda Road, Bhubaneswar, Cuttack, Bhadrak, Balasore, and Kharagpur.
• Train No. 06013/06014 (Thiruvananthapuram Central – Madar Jn Special): Departs Thiruvananthapuram Central at 07:45 hrs on Wednesday and reaches Madar Jn at 11:00 hrs on Friday. In return, departs Madar Jn at 21:40 hrs on Saturday and reaches Thiruvananthapuram Central at 00:45 hrs on Tuesday. Key halts include Kollam, Kayankulam, Mavelikkara, Chengannur, Tiruvalla, Changanasseri, Kottayam, Ernakulam Town, Aluva, Thrissur, Shoranur, Tirur, Kozhikode, Kannur, Kasaragod, Mangaluru Jn, Surathkal, Udupi, Kundapura, Mookambika Road Byndoor, Murdeshwar, Kumta, Karwar, Madgaon, Thivim, Sawanthi Road, Kankavali, Ratnagiri, Sangameshwar Road, Chiplun, Khed, Mangaon, Roha, Panvel, Vasai Road, Vapi, Surat, Vadodara, Godhra, Ratlam, Mandsor, Nimach, Chittaurgarh, Bhilwara, Bijainagar, and Ajmer.
• Train No. 06021/06022 (Podanur – Barauni Special): Departs Podanur at 06:15 hrs on Sunday and reaches Barauni at 13:30 hrs on Tuesday. In return, departs Barauni at 10:30 hrs on Wednesday and reaches Podanur at 18:30 hrs on Friday. Major stoppages are Tirupur, Erode, Salem, Jolarpettai, Katpadi, Perambur, Gudur, Nellore, Ongole, Vijayawada, Khammam, Warangal, Sirpur Kagaznagar, Balharshah, Chandrapur, Nagpur, Betul, Itarsi, Pipariya, Gadarwara, Jabalpur, Katni, Maihar, Satna, Manikpur, Prayagraj Chheoki, Chunar, Pt Deen Dayal Upadhyaya, Buxar, Ara, Danapur, Patliputra, Sonpur, Hajipur, and Shahpur.
• Train No. 06085/06086 (Ernakulam Jn – Patna Special): Departs Ernakulam Jn at 21:30 hrs on Friday and reaches Patna at 03:30 hrs on Monday. In return, departs Patna at 00:10 hrs on Tuesday and reaches Ernakulam Jn at 10:45 hrs on Thursday. Key stoppages include Aluva, Thrissur, Palakkad, Podanur, Tiruppur, Erode, Salem, Jolarpettai, Katpadi, Perambur, Gudur, Nellore, Ongole, Bapatla, Tenali, Vijayawada, Rajahmundry, Samalkot, Duvvada, Simhachalam North, Vizianagaram, Srikakulam Road, Palasa, Ichchapuram, Brahmapur, Khurda Road, Bhubaneswar, Cuttack, Jajpur Keonjhar Road, Bhadrak, Balasore, Kharagpur, Andul, Dankuni, Barddhaman, Durgapur, Asansol, Chittaranjan, Jamtara, Madhupur, Jasidih, Jhajha, Kiul, Mokama, Bakhtiyarpur, Patna Saheb, and Rajendra Nagar.
• Reservation Booking Details: The advance reservation window for all these special trains opens on 20.09.2026 at 08:00 hrs on the IRCTC portal and booking counters. Passengers are advised to book early to secure their seats.