Bhubaneswar: With Durga Puja and Diwali coming up, lakhs of passengers traveling from Odisha to West Bengal are worried about tickets. This time, before the festival, the railways gave a big gift. In view of the additional crowd of passengers, the Indian Railways has announced to run two Puja special trains on Puri-Santragachi-Puri and Shalimar-Khordha Road- Shalimar routes. This special service, which will run from October to November 2026, will be a great relief for the commuters during the Puja and Diwali.
Puri to Santragachi: Every Monday Special
Train no. 08405 will leave Puri at 5:45 PM every Monday from October 5 to October 26 and reach Santragachi at 3:45 AM the next day. Return 08406 will leave Santragachi at 8:45 AM every Tuesday and reach Puri at 7 PM.
The train will halt at Vishtikopal, Khurda Road, Bhubaneswar, Cuttack, Jajpur-Kendujhar Road, Bhadrak, Balasore, Rupsa, Jaleswar, Belda and Kharagpur stations. It has 18 modern LHB coaches with AC, sleeper and general carriage facilities.
Shalimar to Khurda Road: October to November
Train no. 08043 will leave Shalimar at 5:55 PM and reach Khurda Road at 2:45 AM every Monday from 12 October to 9 November. Return 08044 will leave Khurda Road at 6:45 AM every Tuesday and reach Shalimar at 3 PM.
The train will stop at Santragachi, Kharagpur, Balasore, Rupsa, Bhadrak, Jajpur Road, Cuttack and Bhubaneswar stations. With 22 ICF coaches, Dibang also has special facilities for passengers.
Advice for travellers
Railway authorities have advised passengers to book seats in advance due to heavy crowd during the festival. Train schedule, platform and live status can be checked on NTES and Railway mobile app. If you are planning a trip to Kolkata or Puri on Pooja vacation, this special train will make your journey easier and more comfortable.
Tags: Odisha Puja Special Train, Durga Puja Special Train 2026, Diwali Special Train, Odisha Railway News, Puri Santragachi Special, Puja Train Odisha, Odisha West Bengal Train, Indian Railways Odisha, Festival Special Train
