Puja Special Train: In view of the upcoming festive season, Indian Railways has decided to operate several special trains for the convenience of passengers. To address the surge in passenger traffic and the difficulty in securing confirmed tickets during the festivals, the South East Central Railway (SECR) will run a Puja Special train between Hatia and Lokmanya Tilak Terminus (LTT). This train will make three trips in each direction.
Train to run on October 12, 19, and 26
Train No. 08609 Hatia-LTT Puja Special will depart from Hatia station at 4:20 PM on Mondays—October 12, 19, and 26, 2026. Passing through major stations in Jharkhand, Odisha, Chhattisgarh, and Maharashtra, the train will reach Lokmanya Tilak Terminus.
On the return journey, Train No. 08610 LTT-Hatia Puja Special will depart from LTT at 11:50 PM on Tuesdays—October 13, 20, and 27, 2026. Following the scheduled timetable, the train will arrive at Hatia in the early hours of the third day.
Stoppages at these 5 stations in Chhattisgarh
To facilitate passengers, the train has been provided with commercial stoppages at key stations in Chhattisgarh. The train bound for LTT from Hatia will halt at Raigarh, Bilaspur, Raipur, Durg, and Gondia stations. This will provide additional rail connectivity during the festive season for passengers traveling from Chhattisgarh towards Mumbai and Jharkhand.
Train timings in Chhattisgarh
After departing from Hatia, Train No. 08609 will reach Raigarh at 11:03 PM and depart at 11:05 PM. Subsequently, the train will arrive at Bilaspur at 1:15/1:25, Raipur at 2:55/3:00, Durg at 3:55/4:00, and Gondia at 5:48/5:50. It will then proceed along its scheduled route to reach LTT at 10:10 PM.
On the return journey, train number 08610 will pass through Gondia at 1:50 PM, Durg at 3:55 PM, Raipur at 4:35 PM, Bilaspur at 7:05 PM, and Raigarh at 9:35 PM.
‘Puja Special’ train to have 22 coaches
In view of the increasing number of passengers, a total of 22 coaches will be attached to this special train. These will include 1 SLR/D (Guard-cum-Luggage-cum-Disabled-friendly coach), 1 power car, 4 general class coaches, 6 sleeper coaches, 7 AC-III coaches, 2 AC-II coaches, and 1 AC First-cum-Second Class coach.
Train to pass through these stations as well
Running between Hatia and LTT, this ‘Puja Special’ train will halt at several major stations during its journey, including Balsiring, Govindpur Road, Bano, Rourkela, Jharsuguda, Raigarh, Bilaspur, Raipur, Durg, Gondia, Nagpur, Wardha, Badnera, Akola, Malkapur, Bhusawal, Pachora, Chalisgaon, Manmad, Nashik Road, Igatpuri, Kalyan, and Thane.
Appeal to passengers to check the timetable
The railway administration has urged passengers to verify the train’s days of operation, timings, and scheduled halts before commencing their journey. Passengers can view the updated timetable via the official railway website or through the NTES and RailOne apps. Given the rush during the festive season, passengers are advised to book their tickets well in advance.
