Indian Railways announced a 16-coach Vande Bharat Festival Special between New Delhi and Patna starting 16 October 2026. The train will complete the journey in 12 hours and 55 minutes. Saraswati Chandra said, "the train will operate on scheduled dates in October and November to accommodate the festive rush."
Travelling to Bihar during the Diwali and Chhath festival season is set to become much easier. Amid heavy demand on routes to Bihar and Uttar Pradesh and long waiting lists on regular trains, Indian Railways has announced a 16-coach Vande Bharat Festival Special service between New Delhi and Patna.
The special train will operate 18 trips in each direction and will begin running from 16 October 2026. Travelling via Aligarh, Kanpur Central, Prayagraj, Pt Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Junction and Buxar, the train will complete the journey between Delhi and Patna in just 12 hour and 55 minutes.
The fare has been fixed at Rs 4,695 for Executive Chair Car and Rs 2,615 for AC Chair Car.
According to Saraswati Chandra, Chief Public Relations Officer of East Central Railway, the train will operate on scheduled dates in October and November to accommodate the festive rush.
Operation Dates
Train No. 02252 New Delhi-Patna Vande Bharat Festival Special
The service will run for the first time on 16 October 2026. Thereafter, it will operate every Monday, Wednesday and Saturday from 21 October to 25 November 2026.
Train No. 02251 Patna-New Delhi Vande Bharat Festival Special
The return service will run on 17 and 19 October 2026. From 22 October to 26 November 2026, it will operate every Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday.
Timetable And Route
Train No. 02252 New Delhi-Patna
The train will depart from New Delhi at 8:35 am and arrive at Patna Junction at 9:30 pm.
Scheduled stoppages:
Aligarh: 10:21 am
Kanpur Central: 1:30 pm
Prayagraj: 3:45 pm
Pt Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Junction: 6:00 pm
Buxar: 7:26 pm
Ara: 8:10 pm
Patna Junction: 9:30 pm
Train No. 02251 Patna-New Delhi
The train will depart from Patna Junction at 10:00 am and reach New Delhi at 11:30 pm.
Scheduled stoppages:
Ara: 10:38 am
Buxar: 11:25 am
Pt Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Junction: 1:10 pm
Prayagraj: 3:35 pm
Kanpur Central: 5:50 pm
Aligarh: 8:53 pm
New Delhi: 11:30 pm
Faster Journey During Festive Rush
The Vande Bharat Festival Special will cover the Delhi-Patna route in approximately 12 hours and 55 minutes, providing passengers with a faster and more comfortable travel option during one of the busiest periods of the year.
With regular trains witnessing heavy demand and long waiting lists around Diwali and Chhath, the operation of this 16-coach high-speed service is expected to provide thousands of additional passengers with a better chance of securing confirmed seats.