With the upcoming festive season, Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw has announced the introduction of 12,000 special train services for Diwali and Chhath Puja. Alongside these, four new Amrit Bharat Express trains, one new Vande Bharat Express (Purnea to Patna), and one Buddha Circuit Train (Vaishali to Koderma) will be launched to ease passenger movement during the festive rush, when ticket demand soars.
The Buddha Circuit Train will originate from Vaishali, covering key heritage destinations linked to Lord Buddha, including Hajipur, Patliputra, Nalanda, Rajgir, and Gaya. This service aims to boost tourism and spiritual travel in the region.
The new Vande Bharat Express between Purnea and Patna will strengthen Bihar’s rail infrastructure, offering passengers faster and more comfortable travel options during peak transit periods.
These announcements followed a meeting in New Delhi, where Bihar’s senior political leaders discussed urgent connectivity needs with the minister. Vaishnaw assured them that several major railway projects will soon be implemented to further enhance transit across the state.
To ease travel during the festive season, the Railway Board also issued a circular on August 8 introducing a Round-Trip Festival Package. Passengers booking confirmed onward and return tickets for the same set of travelers, class, and origin-destination will receive a 20% rebate.
The rebate, however, will not apply to tickets booked with travel coupons, vouchers, passes, or PTOs. No refunds or additional concessions will be allowed. Zonal railways have been directed to widely publicize the scheme through media, press, and station announcements to maximize passenger awareness.
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