Indian Railways will run two special trains between New Delhi and Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Katra during the Navratri season to manage the expected festive rushThe services will operate on October 9 and 16 from Delhi, with return journeys from Katra on October 10 and 17.
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Railway passengers ALERT! Delhi-Katra Navratri special trains announced: Check dates, timings, route & stops (Image: Indian Railways twitter)
Indian Railways has announced two additional special trains between New Delhi and Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Katra to handle the expected rush of passengers and devotees during the Navratri seasonNorthern Railway will operate the reserved Festival Special Express services on October 9 and October 16 from New Delhi to KatraThe return services will run from Katra to New Delhi on October 10 and October 17Navratri begins on October 11 this year, and a large number of devotees are expected to travel to the Vaishno Devi shrine during the festival.
New Delhi-Katra special train schedule
The new services will operate under train numbers 04083 and 04084.
Train No04083: New Delhi to Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Katra
- Dates: October 9 and October 16
- Departure from New Delhi: 2:00 PM
- Arrival at Katra: 3:00 AM the next day
- Total distance: Around 655 km
Train No04084: Katra to New Delhi
- Dates: October 10 and October 17
- Departure from Katra: 10:00 AM
- Arrival at New Delhi: 11:30 PM the same day
The trains will have 22 LHB coaches and will be reserved services, giving passengers another option to travel during the busy festive period.
New Delhi-Katra special train route and stoppages
The special train will cover the Delhi-Katra route through several important stations in Haryana, Punjab and Jammu and Kashmir.
The main stoppages on the New Delhi-Katra journey are:
- Sonipat
- Panipat
- Kurukshetra
- Ambala Cantt
- Dhandari Kalan
- Jalandhar Cantt
- Pathankot Cantt
- Kathua
- Jammu Tawi
- Udhampur
- Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Katra
The train will then terminate at Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Katra, the main railhead used by pilgrims travelling to the Vaishno Devi shrine.
Another special train already running
The latest announcement comes in addition to another special train service on the same routeNorthern Railway is already operating Train Nos04081/04082 between New Delhi and Katra, with the service scheduled to continue until October 26.
Earlier this month, another set of trips of the 04081/04082 service was announced to meet the demand around the festive seasonThat service also covers major stations including Panipat, Kurukshetra, Ambala Cantt, Ludhiana, Jalandhar Cantt, Pathankot and Jammu Tawi.
Why Railways added these trains
The additional services have been introduced mainly because of the expected increase in passenger traffic during NavratriMany devotees travel to Katra during the festival to visit the Mata Vaishno Devi shrine.
The shrine is located in the Trikuta hills, while Katra is the nearest railway station for pilgrimsFrom Katra, devotees continue their journey towards the shrine, including the trek routeDelhi and Katra are around 650 km apart by rail.
Passengers planning to travel on the special trains should check the latest availability, timings and booking status before starting their journey, as festive schedules can changeRailway passengers can also use official railway enquiry services or 139 for assistance.
