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Guwahati: Indian Railways (IR) has made extensive arrangements to meet the surge in passenger demand during the ongoing festive season. To ensure smooth travel during Puja, Diwali, and Chhath, IR is operating 12,011 special trains, a significant increase from 7,724 trains during the same period last year. In the Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR) zone, 48 special festival trains are running, covering a total of 620 trips across various routes from September to December 2025. Special arrangements have been made at major stations like Katihar, New Jalpaiguri, Guwahati, Jogbani, and Kishanganj, including holding areas, passenger announcement systems, fans, additional ticke counters, and automatic ticket vending machines to ensure smooth passenger movement. Also Read: Indian Railways goes paperless Round-the-clock war rooms and additional staff, including RPF personnel, have been deployed for effective crowd management and passenger assistance. Special trains are operating to key destinations such as Katihar, Kishanganj, New Jalpaiguri, Sonpur, Dauram Madhepura, Agartala, New Tinsukia, SMVT Bengaluru, Amritsar, Patna, Dibrugarh, Gorakhpur, Silchar, Naharlagun, Kolkata, Guwahati, Ranchi, Charalapalli, Mumbai Central, Agra Cantt, Jogbani, Lumding, Howrah, Gomti Nagar, Anand Vihar, Kamakhya and many others. On Wednesday trains scheduled include: Train No. 05978 Dibrugarh - Gorakhpur (Weekly Special) will depart from Dibrugarh at 9:10 hours and arrives at Gorakhpur at 19:00 hours. Train No. 05736 Katihar - Amritsar (Weekly Special) will depart from Katihar Jn. at 21:00 hours and arrives at Amritsar Jn at 09:45 hrs Train No. 07541 Katihar - Dauram Madhepura (Daily Special) will depart from Katihar at 19:00 hours and arrives at Dauram Madhepura at 22:00 hours. Train No. 07542 Dauram Madhepura - Katihar (Daily Special) will depart from Dauram Madhepura at 22:45 hours and arrives at Katihar at 2:30 hours. Train No. 07540 Katihar - Manihari (Daily Special) will depart from Katihar at 20:30 hours and arrives at Manihari at 21:30 hours. Train No. 07539 Manihari - Katihar (Daily Special) will depart from Manihari at 5:00 hours and arrives at Katihar at 6:00 hours. Passengers are advised to plan their journeys in advance and cooperate with railway staff to ensure safe and comfortable travel during the festive season.
October 2025 is packed with major festivals like Dussehra, Diwali, Chath Puja and Durga Puja In this festive season, several states will observe many bank holidays during the month. In October 2025, there will be a national holiday when banks across all states will remain closed. Due to various local festivals, several bank branches will also remain closed in different states. While online banking services will remain available, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has listed specific days in October ...Read More >
Gorakhpur, Uttar Pradesh: The North Eastern Railway on Wednesday announced it would run 186 additional special trains on Chatth Puja to enhance passenger comfort between major stations. The Chief Public Relations Officer (CPRO) of the North Eastern Railway, Pankaj Kumar Singh, stated that passengers are returning after celebrating Diwali and also coming for Chhath Puja. He noted that the Indian Railways has increased its train capacity and is running special trains to multiple stations this year. "After celebrating Diwali, passengers are going back and also coming in for Chhat Puja; therefor ...Read More >
Guwahati: Work on the second Saraighat rail-cum-road bridge over the Brahmaputra in Guwahati will start soon, with tenders to be opened next month, followed by work allotment, officials said on Saturday.While this major infrastructure project was sanctioned during the FY 2023-24 with an estimated cost of Rs 1,473.77 crore, Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR) on Saturday said the bridge is targeted for completion by Dec 2029. This bridge at Saraighat has been sanctioned as part of the doubling of the Agthori-Kamakhya railway line under NFR."The geotechnical investigations have been completed for t ...Read More >
Aizawl, Sep 13 (PTI) Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday inaugurated Mizoram's first railway line and flagged off the state's maiden Rajdhani Express connecting Aizawl with Delhi. The Rs 8,070-crore Bairabi-Sairang railway line, considered one of the most challenging in Indian Railways' history, was sanctioned in 2008-09 and construction began in 2015. The line includes 45 tunnels, 55 major bridges and 87 minor bridges. Bridge No 144, near Sairang, is taller than Qutub Minar at 114 metres. It is the tallest pier railway bridge in the country, an official of the Northeast Frontier Railw ...Read More >
Bihar Elections 2025: The current Assembly's term in Bihar ends on November 22, so a new Assembly must be elected and sworn in before that date. Bihar Assembly Elections 2025: As the political blame-game unfolds in Bihar, there is a rising debate and curiosity around when the Election Commission of India (ECI) will announce the poll dates. The ECI has reportedly ordered Chief Secretary of Bihar and the Chief Electoral Officer to finish all transfers and postings of government officers who have remained in the same location for over 3 years. A report on the action taken over this order has be ...Read More >
HYDERABAD: After four days of relentless downpours, Telangana is expected to have a brief respite on Monday, with no rainfall alerts issued. However, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) placed the state under a yellow alert for thunderstorms. IMD data showed that Papannapet in Medak district received the heaviest 24-hour rainfall at 10.6 cm, followed by Manoor in Sangareddy with 9.28 cm and Nallabelly in Warangal at 9.15 cm. The statewide average rainfall for the day stood at 7.3 mm, notably higher than the normal 4.3 mm. Warangal's Sangem recorded the day's highest maximum temperature ...Read More >
New Delhi, Oct 19: Union Minister for Railways, Information and Broadcasting, and Electronics and Information Technology, Ashwini Vaishnaw, today conducted a surprise inspection of Anand Vihar Railway Station to ensure passenger safety and convenience during the festive season. Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw inspected the holding area at the station and interacted directly with passengers, seeking feedback on the cleanliness of the railway premises and the facilities being provided. Speaking to the media, Vaishnaw stated that the Railways has made extensive arrangements to ensure that passengers ...Read More >
Guwahati, The construction of a second rail-cum-road bridge over the Brahmaputra at Saraighat in Guwahati is expected to commence soon, an official said on Saturday. The tender is likely to be finalised shortly, and construction work will start immediately after it, he said. This second bridge at Saraighat was sanctioned as part of the doubling of the Agthori-Kamakhya railway line under Northeast Frontier Railway . It was sanctioned in 2023-24 with an estimate of ₹1,473.77 crore, and is targ ...Read More >
Mumbai: To accommodate the heavy festive rush during Puja, Diwali, and Chhath festivals, the Central Railway announced a series of special trains between Mumbai's Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus (CSMT) and Danapur. The move aims to ensure smoother travel for thousands of passengers heading to their hometowns in North India during the festive season. According to an official release from the Mumbai Division of Central Railway, Train No. 01047 CSMT-Danapur Special will operate on October 18, 22, 26 and 30, 2025. The special train is designed to manage the surge of passengers travelling hom ...Read More >
Patna (Bihar) [India], July 4 (ANI): Jan Suraaj founder Prashant Kishor on Friday has raised objections to the timing of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Bihar, stating that it could result in the exclusion of a large number of voters who return to the state only during the festive season. Speaking to ANI, Kishor said, 'We are against this, we have expressed concern, and we have also called a meeting of our executive to discuss this issue because there is a very large section in Bihar that comes from outside during Diwali, Chhath, and for them, coming before Diwali, ...Read More >
New Delhi: The Vande Bharat Express has been running across the country for quite some time, but now the government is considering another major gift. The Vande Bharat Sleeper Express train is set to launch soon. The first Vande Bharat Sleeper train will run between Delhi and Patna. This will make the journey from Patna to Delhi much easier. Travel will be time-saving and convenient. Indian Railways may launch this train before Diwali, or Dhanteras, which will reduce the journey from Delhi to Patna. Fares are likely to be slightly higher than other express trains. The ticket schedule has not ...Read More >
The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has released a comprehensive holiday calendar, urging citizens to plan their banking activities accordingly to avoid inconvenience. Major festivals such as Durga Puja, Dussehra, Diwali, Chhath Puja, Lakshmi Puja, Bhai Dooj, and Gandhi Jayanti contribute to the extended closures. In addition to these, the second and fourth Saturdays and Sundays further reduce working days for banks. 🏦 Key Dates to Note: * October 1: Dussehra, Ayudha Puja, Durga Puja (West Be ...Read More >
Bengaluru: Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge was admitted to MS Ramaiah Hospital in Bengaluru after developing a fever late Tuesday night, sparking concern among party workers and political leaders across the country. Doctors at the hospital are closely monitoring his condition and have assured that there is no immediate cause for alarm. Kharge, 83, was reportedly brought to the renowned medical facility after he complained of persistent fever. A medical team quickly initiated a series of diagnostic tests to determine the cause. While his condition is said to be stable, doctors have kept ...Read More >
The Indian Railways has directed passengers to avoid carrying flamable items on trains this Diwali (Photo for representational purposes only) ShowQuick Read Summary is AI-generated, newsroom-reviewed * Passengers must not carry potentially dangerous items on trains this Diwali * Indian Railways has set up permanent holding areas at major stations to manage crowds * Passengers should report suspicious items or behaviour to railway staff or security forces immediately Did our AI summary help ...Read More >
New Delhi [India], September 29 (ANI): Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta on Monday said that the national capital will witness a grand Chhath Puja this year and arrangements will be done at banks on both sides of the Yamuna river. She said focus will be given on cleanliness of the ghats. "To ensure that the Chhath Puja festival is historic, this year, we will make a detailed plan and preparations for it. Arrangements for the Chhath puja will be done at banks on both sides of the river. Focus will be laid on cleanliness at the ghats. Delhi will witness a grand Chhath Puja this year." Prime Mi ...Read More >
Air India and Air India Express on Tuesday announced the addition of 166 flights to and from Patna to meet the surge in demand for travellers around the festive season of Diwali and Chhath Puja. According to a press release by Air India, the Tata-owned carrier will operate 114 additional flights between Patna and different cities. In addition to that, the company's subsidiary Air India Express will operate 52 additional flights connecting the capital of Bihar to Delhi and Bengaluru. The additio ...Read More >
Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) national convenor Arvind Kejriwal on Saturday accused the BJP government in Delhi of pushing the capital city into chaos, and undoing a decade of progress achieved under AAP's rule. Reacting to Kejriwal's remarks, Delhi BJP president Virendra Sachdeva accused the AAP leader of ''trying to save his political existence through lies and confusion''. Speaking at a Diwali Milan event at the party headquarters, Kejriwal claimed the city that once had world-class schools, improve ...Read More >
Tripura Chief Minister Manik Saha on Monday inaugurated the three-day Diwali festival and mela at the Mata Tripura Sundari temple, one of the 51 Shakti Peethas revered by Hindus, at Udaipur in southern Tripura's Gomati district. Agartala: Tripura Chief Minister Manik Saha on Monday inaugurated the three-day Diwali festival and mela at the Mata Tripura Sundari temple, one of the 51 Shakti Peethas revered by Hindus, at Udaipur in southern Tripura's Gomati district. Before formally inaugurating th ...Read More >
Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta announced October 27 as a government holiday for the Chhath festival. The holiday falls on a Monday, marking the most significant day of the four-day celebration. Devotees will offer prayers to the setting Sun. The festival honors nature, the Sun God, and Chhathi Maiya. Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta on Friday announced that October 27 will be a government holiday on the occassion of Chhath festival, said a statement from the CMO. The chief minister explained ...Read More >
New Delhi : Good news for Biharis living outside the state -- celebrating festivals with family back home will now be easier. In a major move aimed at easing travel during festive seasons, the Bihar government has announced the launch of 299 AC and non-AC special buses. These buses will operate from key states, including Delhi, to various destinations across Bihar. A Heartfelt Desire to Celebrate with Loved Ones During major festivals like Holi, Diwali, and Chhath Puja, people from Bihar living across India yearn to return to their ancestral homes. However, due to limited availability of tra ...Read More >
Patna: The railways' announcement on Wednesday about operating 12,000 special trains to handle the surge in passenger traffic during the upcoming Diwali and Chhath festivals has drawn criticism from the passengers' association in Bihar. Bihar Daily Passengers' Association (BDPA) has expressed doubts about the feasibility of running such a large number of additional trains, citing the limitations of the existing railway infrastructure in the state.Shoaib Quraishi, general secretary of BDPA, questioned how the railways -- already operating around 13,198 passenger trains daily across the country, ...Read More >
Mumbai, September 27: Banks will be closed for more than 15 days in October 2025 as the 10th month of the 25th year of the 21st century is packed with major festivals such as Dussehra, Diwali, Chath Puja and Durga Puja. During October, several states will observe bank holidays due to regional festivals in addition to national holidays. According to the Reserve Bank of India (RBI), banks across the country will stay shut for a total of 15 days in October. The October bank holiday of 15 days excludes all Sunday holidays when banks remain closed for business. As per the RBI list, banks will stay ...Read More >
There has been considerable confusion over whether the Diwali bank holiday falls on Monday or Tuesday this year. To clarify, banks in certain states observed the holiday on Monday, while in others, bank branches will remain closed today, Tuesday, October 21, 2025. Income Tax Guide Income Tax Slabs FY 2025-26Income Tax Calculator 2025New Income Tax Bill 2025 Bank holiday on October 21, 2025A bank holiday will be observed in Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Odisha, Sikkim, Manipur, Chhattisgarh, Jam ...Read More >
Schools across several Indian states have announced extended holidays for Diwali, with closures beginning as early as October 13 in Rajasthan. Uttar Pradesh and Bihar are also observing Diwali breaks, with Bihar's holidays extending to include preparations for Chhath Puja. Meanwhile, schools in Karnataka are closed until October 18 for a state-wide caste survey. Many states have announced school holidays starting Monday, October 13 ahead of Diwali. Along with traditional Diwali vacations, some a ...Read More >
Passengers at Patna Junction Patna: With Chhath drawing near, the railways is preparing for an additional rush of an estimated 15 to 20 lakh passengers heading to Bihar from Oct 25. Most of these passengers are migrant workers and families returning to their native places to celebrate the festival and cast their votes in the assembly polls scheduled for Nov 6 and 11 across the state.However, the combined rush of Diwali and Chhath has overwhelmed the railway network. Regular trains from major cities such as New Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Chennai, Ahmedabad, Amritsar, Secunderabad and Pune are al ...Read More >
Patna, Oct 6 (PTI) RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav on Monday said Bihar will vote for change in the upcoming assembly polls and "every Bihari will be the CM". Soon after the Election Commission announced the poll schedule, Yadav took to X to strike an emotional chord with voters. "Bihar will vote for a change in the coming assembly polls. After 20 years, a grand festival will arrive that will dispel all sorrows and troubles. On that day, every Bihari will join Tejashwi in celebrating victory, because on that day, every Bihari will become Bihar's CM -- that is, CHANGE MAKER". Assembly elections in ...Read More >
Delhi Police have launched a city-wide special patrolling and vehicle checking drive to enhance security during the festive season. Police Commissioner Satish Golcha reviewed operations, with officers of all ranks participating in field operations across various districts. The campaign aims to check suspicious movements and instill a sense of safety among residents. Delhi Police have launched a city-wide special patrolling and vehicle checking drive to enhance security during the festive season. ...Read More >
New Delhi: Many people plan to handle their banking work over the weekend, only to find their bank doors closed. This confusion often occurs because banks in India do not operate on all Saturdays. Apart from national and regional holidays, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has specific rules under which banks remain shut on certain Saturdays each month. Banks in Guwahati, Assam will remain closed today due to Kati Bihu. Although Dhanteras also falls on this day, it isn't a declared nationwide bank holiday. Overall, October 2025 includes 21 official bank holidays, covering major festivals such a ...Read More >
Patna: Bharatiya Janata Party is gearing up for massive rallies in poll-bound Bihar featuring top leaders, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, Road Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari, and BJP national president JP Nadda. The rallies are set to kick-start after Diwali. BJP Bihar state president, Dilip Jaisawal, informed ANI that PM Modi's proposed visit to Bihar is on 24th October. "In Bihar, he (PM Modi) will address public rallies at two places. His election campaign will begin on 24th October from Samastipur. From there, he w ...Read More >
In her message, the CM said that Diwali, the festival of light, prosperity, and togetherness, should be celebrated in an atmosphere of peace and harmony. Protect the Capital by using green crackers only, said Delhi CM Rekha Gupta on Sunday as she extended the greetings to the people of the city on the occasion of Diwali. She encouraged people to celebrate the festival "in traditional ways by lighting diyas (lamps), making rangoli, and sharing sweets to spread joy and prosperity," read a statemen ...Read More >