In a major move to handle the festive rush, the Ministry of Railways on Thursday (August 21, 2025) announced that Indian Railways will operate 380 Ganpati Special train trips this year, the highest ever recorded. The initiative aims to provide smooth and comfortable travel for devotees heading home to celebrate Ganesh Chaturthi.
The numbers reflect a steady rise in demand over the years — 305 Ganpati Special trips were run in 2023, followed by 358 in 2024. For 2025, the figure has climbed to a new peak of 380 trips.
Breaking down the numbers, Central Railway will shoulder the largest share with 296 services, meeting the heavy festive travel demand in Maharashtra and the Konkan region. Western Railway will run 56 trips, South Western Railway 22, and Konkan Railway Corporation Ltd. (KRCL) 6 trips.
Stations covered by Ganpati Special trains
The special services on the Konkan route will cover halts at several key stations including Kolad, Indapur, Mangaon, Goregaon Road, Veer, Chiplun, Ratnagiri, Kankavali, Sindhudurg, Kudal, Sawantwadi Road, Thivim, Karmali, Madgaon Junction, Karwar, Gokarna Road, Kumta, Murdeshwar, Kundapura, Udupi, Mulki, and Surathkal, among others.
This year, the auspicious Ganpati festival will be celebrated from August 27 to September 6, 2025. Anticipating the rush, Indian Railways began operating Ganpati Special services from August 11, with frequencies being progressively increased as the festival nears.
Passengers can check the full schedule, routes, and booking details for Ganpati Special trains on the official IRCTC website, the RailOne app, and computerized PRS counters.
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