For Prelims: Golden Quadrilateral, Special Trains, Four-Laning of Railway Corridors, Number of special trains, Festivals covered, Corridors to be four-laned, Current context
Source:
Hindustan
5 facts for one-day exams
SSC, railway, police and teaching exams ask direct questions like these.
- Indian Railways will run about 18,000 special trains for the festive season.
- The festive season includes Durga Puja, Diwali and Chhath.
- Seven major railway corridors are being expanded to four lanes.
- The Golden Quadrilateral connects Delhi, Kolkata, Chennai and Mumbai.
- Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw made the announcement on 7 November 2026.
Why in the news?
Indian Railways will operate about 18,000 special trains during the festive season (Durga Puja, Diwali, Chhath) and is expanding seven major railway corridors to four lanes to reduce congestion and delays. The special trains have higher fares and longer travel times than regular express trains, so passengers often prefer regular services.
Summary
- Indian Railways to run about 18,000 special trains for Durga Puja, Diwali and Chhath festive rush.
- Seven major railway corridors being expanded to four lanes to decongest routes and reduce train delays.
- Special trains have higher fares (e.g., New Delhi-Patna AC 3-tier ₹1,745 vs regular ₹1,390) and longer travel time, so passengers often avoid them.
Highlights
18,000 Special Trains for Festive Season
Indian Railways will run about 18,000 special trains during Durga Puja, Diwali and Chhath to manage passenger rush.
Seven Corridors to Be Four-Laned
Seven major railway corridors, including Golden Quadrilateral routes and Delhi-Guwahati, are being expanded to four lanes to reduce congestion and delays.
Higher Fares for Special Trains
Special trains have higher fares (e.g., New Delhi-Patna AC 3-tier ₹1,745 vs regular ₹1,390) and longer travel time, making them less popular with passengers.
Background
Indian Railways faces massive passenger surge during the festive season (Durga Puja, Diwali, Chhath) every year, especially on high-density routes like Delhi-Patna, Delhi-Mumbai and Delhi-Kolkata. To manage the rush, Railways runs special trains, but these often have higher fares and longer travel times than regular express trains.
Key Analysis and Impact
Running 18,000 special trains is a significant logistical exercise, but the higher fare structure (e.g., ₹1,745 vs ₹1,390 for Delhi-Patna AC 3-tier) and longer travel time make them less attractive to passengers. The four-laning of seven major corridors, including the Golden Quadrilateral (Delhi-Kolkata-Chennai-Mumbai) and Delhi-Guwahati, is a long-term infrastructure upgrade aimed at decongesting the network and reducing delays.
Festive special vs regular train (Delhi-Patna AC 3-tier)
| Feature | Festival Special (04096) | Regular Sampoorna Kranti Express |
|---|---|---|
| Fare | ₹1,745 | ₹1,390 |
| Travel time | Longer | Shorter |
Background GK
Textbook concepts you need to understand this news
- Golden Quadrilateral
- A national highway network connecting the four major metropolitan cities of India: Delhi, Kolkata, Chennai and Mumbai. In railways, the term refers to the high-density rail routes connecting these same cities.
- Special Trains
- Trains run by Indian Railways during peak seasons (festivals, holidays) to handle extra passenger demand. They often have different fare structures and timings compared to regular trains.
- Four-Laning of Railway Corridors
- Expanding a railway line from two tracks to four tracks, allowing more trains to run simultaneously in the same direction, reducing congestion and delays.
Facts to remember
Tap a card to see the answer. Try to recall it first.
How exams will ask this
- Data: 18,000 special trains for festive season; 7 corridors to be four-laned
- Nodal Body: Ministry of Railways / Indian Railways
Don't make this mistake!
Examiners may swap the number of corridors (7) with the number of trains (18,000) or ask about the Golden Quadrilateral routes (Delhi-Kolkata-Chennai-Mumbai) vs the corridors mentioned (e.g., Delhi-Guwahati). They may also confuse the festive season special trains with regular Rajdhani/Shatabdi trains.
Stuck? Get it in one tap
Indian Railways will run about 18,000 extra trains during the festive season (Durga Puja, Diwali and Chhath) to handle the huge passenger rush. Seven important railway routes are being widened from two tracks to four tracks so that trains run on time and there is less crowding. The special trains cost more and take longer than regular trains, so many passengers do not like them.
- Indian Railways will run about 18,000 special trains for the festive season.
- The festive season includes Durga Puja, Diwali and Chhath.
- Seven major railway corridors are being expanded to four lanes.
- The Golden Quadrilateral connects Delhi, Kolkata, Chennai and Mumbai.
- Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw made the announcement on 7 November 2026.
- Governance: Infrastructure: Railways
- Economy: Transport and connectivity
Related concepts: Golden Quadrilateral, Special Trains, Four-Laning of Railway Corridors
Practice questions
Pick an answer, then read the explanation.
- Q1Easy
Which ministry is responsible for implementing the four-laning of railway corridors in India?
Explanation: The Ministry of Railways is the nodal ministry for all railway infrastructure projects in India, including corridor expansion. The Ministry of Road Transport handles highways, not railways.
- Q2Hard
Consider the following statements regarding the festive special trains announced by Indian Railways:
- 1.About 18,000 special trains will run during Durga Puja, Diwali and Chhath.
- 2.The fares of special trains are lower than regular express trains.
- 3.Seven major railway corridors are being expanded to four lanes.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
Explanation: Statement 1 is correct: Railways will run about 18,000 special trains. Statement 2 is incorrect: special trains have higher fares (e.g., ₹1,745 vs ₹1,390 for Delhi-Patna AC 3-tier). Statement 3 is correct: seven major corridors are being four-laned. Hence option C is correct.
- Q3Medium
How many special trains will Indian Railways run during the festive season according to the announcement?
Explanation: The Railway Minister announced about 18,000 special trains for the festive season. 8,000 and 12,000 are lower numbers, while 24,000 is higher; none match the announced figure.
- Q4Medium
What is the primary objective of four-laning seven major railway corridors?
Explanation: The four-laning of corridors aims to decongest the network and reduce delays.
Frequently asked questions
1. How many special trains will Indian Railways run for the festive season?
Indian Railways will run about 18,000 special trains during Durga Puja, Diwali and Chhath.
2. Which railway corridors are being expanded to four lanes?
Seven major corridors including the Golden Quadrilateral (Delhi-Kolkata-Chennai-Mumbai) and Delhi-Guwahati are being expanded to four lanes.
3. Why do passengers not prefer festive special trains?
Special trains have higher fares and longer travel time compared to regular express trains, making them less popular.
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- Original7 November 2026 · Read story
