Visiting Jyotirlingas Made Easy During Sawan: Railways Launches Special Trains

Indian Railways: In anticipation of the surge in crowds during the Sawan season and the Kanwar Mela of 2026, Indian Railways has introduced several special trains. Here are the details regarding these special trains launched for devotees.

Sawan Special Trains 2026: The onset of the month of Sawan creates an atmosphere of devotion to Lord Shiva across the country. During this month, lakhs of devotees embark on the Kanwar Yatra and plan visits to famous temples and Jyotirlingas dedicated to Lord Shiva (Baba Bholenath). Consequently, trains often become overcrowded, causing inconvenience to passengers—particularly due to long waiting lists. To address this issue, Indian Railways has introduced special trains for the Sawan season and the Kanwar Mela of 2026. Let us take a look at these special trains…

Special Trains for Visiting Jyotirlingas

If you are planning to visit a Jyotirlinga this Sawan, these special trains introduced by the Railways could prove highly beneficial for you.

Devotees can now easily reach Somnath Dham via the weekly special train (04173/04174) running between Prayagraj and Veraval.
The bi-weekly special train (04169/04170) running between Subedarganj and Indore is being operated specifically for passengers visiting the Mahakaleshwar Jyotirlinga.
The special train (04185/04186) running between Jhansi and Asansol will offer great convenience to passengers traveling to Baba Baidyanath Dham and Kashi Vishwanath.

Enhanced Train Services for Kanwar Pilgrims

Every year, lakhs of Kanwariyas travel to Haridwar and Rishikesh to collect holy water from the Ganges. Indian Railways has made special arrangements for these Kanwar pilgrims traveling from Delhi, Western Uttar Pradesh, and Haryana to Haridwar, which includes extending the routes of certain local trains.

The Delhi-Shamli DEMU will now extend its service up to Haridwar.

The Delhi-Saharanpur MEMU service will also be extended to Haridwar.

Unreserved ‘Mela Special’ trains will also run from Haridwar and Rishikesh to Delhi Shahdara and Lucknow.

Passengers will be able to travel on these trains using standard tickets.

Convenience for Smaller Stations Too

To specifically facilitate Kanwar pilgrims, several express trains have been granted temporary halts at stations such as Raiwala, Motichur, and Jwalapur from July 30 to August 13, 2026. This eliminates the need for passengers to travel long distances to board trains. Devotees from nearby areas will particularly benefit from this arrangement.

Points to Remember Before Traveling

Be sure to check train timings and routes before your journey.
Use IRCTC or official railway platforms for ticket booking and updates.
Given the expected rush, it is advisable to plan your journey in advance.