In response to soaring travel demand during the holiday season, the East Coast Railway (ECoR) has announced a series of special trains and the addition of extra coaches to regular services.
This move aims to alleviate overcrowding and ensure smoother journeys for passengers heading to major destinations like Mumbai, New Delhi, Bengaluru, and Howrah.
The initiative comes as railways across India brace for increased footfall amid festive and year-end travel. ECoR officials stated that these measures will help clear stranded passengers and provide more options for those planning trips in the coming weeks.
Special Trains to Ease the Rush
ECoR has scheduled six special trains to operate on key routes, offering additional capacity for thousands of travelers. The trains are set to depart between December 7 and 9, 2025, with return services following shortly after. Here’s the detailed schedule:
- **Train No. 08401 Bhubaneswar – Lokmanya Tilak Terminus Special**: Departs Bhubaneswar on December 7, 2025.
- **Train No. 08402 Lokmanya Tilak Terminus – Sambalpur Special**: Departs Lokmanya Tilak Terminus on December 9, 2025.
- **Train No. 08403 Puri – Anand Vihar Terminal Special**: Departs Puri on December 8, 2025.
- **Train No. 08404 Anand Vihar Terminal – Bhubaneswar Special**: Departs Anand Vihar Terminal on December 9, 2025.
- **Train No. 08501 Visakhapatnam – SMVB Bengaluru Special**: Departs Visakhapatnam on December 8, 2025.
- **Train No. 08502 SMVB Bengaluru – Visakhapatnam Special**: Departs SMVB Bengaluru on December 9, 2025.
These one-way specials are designed to cater to the extra rush, particularly from coastal Odisha and Andhra Pradesh to metropolitan hubs.
Augmentation of Regular Trains
Beyond the specials, ECoR is bolstering several regular trains with additional air-conditioned coaches to accommodate more passengers without disrupting schedules. The enhancements include:
- **Train No. 22811 Bhubaneswar-New Delhi Tejas Rajdhani Express** (December 7, 2025) and **Train No. 22812 New Delhi-Bhubaneswar Tejas Rajdhani Express** (December 8, 2025): Augmented with one 1st AC coach.
- **Train No. 22823 Bhubaneswar-New Delhi Tejas Rajdhani Express** (December 8, 2025) and **Train No. 22824 New Delhi-Bhubaneswar Tejas Rajdhani Express** (December 9, 2025): Augmented with one 3rd AC coach.
- **Train No. 12882 Puri-Shalimar Garib Rath Express** (December 8 and 10, 2025) and **Train No. 12881 Shalimar-Puri Garib Rath Express** (December 9 and 11, 2025): Augmented with one 3rd AC Economy class coach.
- **Train No. 22883 Puri-Yesvantpur Garib Rath Express** (December 12, 2025) and **Train No. 22884 Yesvantpur-Puri Garib Rath Express** (December 13, 2025): Augmented with one 3rd AC Economy class coach.
These additions are expected to provide immediate relief to waitlisted passengers on popular routes.
ECoR has urged travellers to monitor real-time seat availability via the IRCTC website, NTES app, or railway enquiry services.