The Railways will operate a tri-weekly Delhi–Patna Vande Bharat festival special from October 21 to November 26 to meet increased passenger demand during Diwali and Chhath, adding a faster inter-city option on one of the busiest travel corridors to Bihar.
The train, numbered 02251/02252, will run between New Delhi and Patna Junction on Mondays, Wednesdays and Saturdays in the New Delhi–Patna direction. East Central Railway chief public relations officer Saraswati Chandra said the service will depart from New Delhi at 8:35 am and reach Patna Junction at 9:30 pm on the same day.
In the return direction, the train will leave Patna Junction at 10 am every Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday and arrive in New Delhi at 11:30 pm. The schedule provides same-day connectivity in both directions, although the days of operation differ for outbound and return journeys.
The semi-high-speed special will have 16 chair-car coaches. It will stop at Ara, Buxar, DDU, Prayagraj, Kanpur Central and Aligarh, allowing passengers from these cities and surrounding areas to use the additional service. The stops also connect the festival special to multiple major urban and regional travel markets along the route.
The announcement comes ahead of the annual festive migration associated with Diwali and Chhath, when large numbers of passengers travel from Delhi and other northern cities to Bihar to visit their families. Railway sources said the special service is expected to provide additional capacity on the New Delhi–Patna route during this period.
Before the regular festival schedule begins, the train will make two trips from New Delhi on October 16 and 18. It will return from Patna on October 17 and 19. These initial trips will follow the same departure and arrival timings as the later festival service, according to the East Central Railway CPRO.
The service is limited to the festival period and is separate from the regular tri-weekly operation referred to in the announcement. The Railways has not provided details in the supplied information on fares, booking availability or whether additional services will be added if demand remains high.
The first New Delhi departure is scheduled for October 16, followed by the return journey from Patna on October 17. The main festival special will operate from October 21 through November 26, with the Railways using the 16-coach service to add capacity during the peak travel window.
