Special trains to run from Vaishno Devi Katra to Delhi and Varanasi on Holi, check timings and routes
New Delhi (The Uttam Hindu): Keeping passenger convenience in mind during the Holi festival, the Jammu Division of Indian Railways has announced the operation of special trains. According to railway officials, special train numbers 04081/04082 will run between Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Katra and New Delhi, while train numbers 04603/04604 will operate between Varanasi and Katra.
As per railway details, train number 04081 will depart from New Delhi Railway Station at 11:45 pm from February 21 to March 8 and will reach Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Katra Railway Station at 12:00 noon the next day. En route, the train will halt at Panipat, Kurukshetra, Ambala Cantt, Ludhiana, Jalandhar Cantt, Pathankot Cantt, Jammu and Udhampur.
In the return direction, the same service will run as train number 04082 from February 22 to March 9. It will depart from Katra at 9:20 pm and arrive at New Delhi at 10:00 am the next day, stopping at Panipat, Kurukshetra, Ambala Cantt, Ludhiana, Jalandhar Cantt, Pathankot Cantt, Jammu and Udhampur. This service will be particularly beneficial for passengers from Delhi-NCR, Haryana and Punjab planning to visit Vaishno Devi during Holi.
Similarly, train number 04603 will operate four trips from February 24 to March 8 between Varanasi Junction and Katra. The train will depart Varanasi at 5:00 am and reach Katra at 6:00 am the next day. During the journey, it will halt at Pratapgarh, Raebareli, Lucknow, Bareilly, Moradabad, Saharanpur, Ambala Cantt, Ludhiana, Jalandhar Cantt, Pathankot Cantt, Jammu and Udhampur.
On the return journey, train number 04604 will run four trips from February 22 to March 6 from Katra to Varanasi. It will depart Katra at 6:15 pm and reach Varanasi at 7:00 pm the next day, stopping at Jammu, Udhampur, Pathankot Cantt, Jalandhar Cantt, Ludhiana, Ambala Cantt, Saharanpur, Moradabad, Bareilly, Lucknow, Raebareli and Pratapgarh.
Railway officials said that the objective of running these special trains is to manage the heavy rush during the festive season and provide passengers with a smooth and comfortable travel experience, as regular trains witness very high occupancy during this period.