Ranchi, August 26: In a bid to handle the extra rush of passengers during the upcoming festive season, South Eastern Railway (SER) has announced the operation of three Puja special trains that will pass through important stations of Chakradharpur Division including Tatanagar, Rourkela and Jharsuguda.
The move is aimed at providing additional travel facilities for passengers heading to different parts of the country during Durga Puja and Diwali.
The first train, Santragachi–Ajmer Special (08611/08612), will run once a week. The train will depart from Santragachi every Monday between September 22 and November 24 at 7 pm and will reach Ajmer at 3 pm on the third day. On the return journey, train no. 08612 will leave Ajmer every Thursday between September 25 and November 27 at 11:40 pm and reach Santragachi at 4 pm on the third day. The train will halt at Kharagpur, Tatanagar, Chandil, Purulia, Muri, Ranchi and Lohardaga stations within SER limits.
The second service, Podanur–Barauni Special (06055/06056), will also run weekly. It will leave Podanur every Saturday between September 6 and November 29 at 11:50 am and reach Barauni at 2:30 pm on the third day. In the return direction, train no. 06056 will depart from Barauni every Tuesday between September 9 and December 2 at 11:45 pm and will arrive at Podanur at 3:45 am on the fourth day.
This train has been allotted halts at Jharsuguda, Rourkela, Nuagaon, Hatia, Ranchi, Muri and Bokaro Steel City under South Eastern Railway jurisdiction.
Similarly, the third special service will connect Coimbatore with the coal capital Dhanbad. Train no. 06063 Coimbatore–Dhanbad Special will leave Coimbatore every Friday from September 5 to November 28 at 11:50 am and reach Dhanbad at 8:30 am on the third day. On the return leg, train no. 06064 will depart from Dhanbad every Monday between September 8 and December 1 at 6 am and arrive in Coimbatore at 3:45 am on the third day. This train too will have stops at Jharsuguda, Rourkela, Hatia, Ranchi, Muri and Bokaro Steel City.
According to South Eastern Railway officials, the introduction of these Puja special trains will significantly ease the festive season crowd and ensure better connectivity for passengers travelling long distances across eastern, northern and southern India.
