Dongargarh: The Railways has introduced significant facilities for devotees visiting the famous Navratri fair in Dongargarh, Chhattisgarh. In anticipation of the surge in passenger traffic during the fair, the Railways will operate several special trains from October 11 to October 20. Additionally, the routes of certain trains have been temporarily extended, and several major trains have been granted additional stoppages at Dongargarh station.
According to the South East Central Railway, a special MEMU train will operate between Dongargarh and Durg during the fair. Connectivity to Dongargarh has also been enhanced for passengers traveling from Raipur, Durg, Bhilai, and surrounding areas.
Special MEMU to run between Dongargarh and Durg
Train number 06886/06885 (Dongargarh-Durg MEMU Passenger Special) will operate during the Navratri fair.
Dongargarh to Durg: Departs at 1:00 AM and arrives at Durg at 2:20 AM.
Durg to Dongargarh: Departs at 2:40 AM and arrives at Dongargarh at 4:00 AM.
This special train will provide additional rail facilities for passengers traveling to and from Dongargarh, Rajnandgaon, and other stations along the route.
Connectivity to Dongargarh from Raipur also increased
The Railways has also temporarily extended the route of the 68729/68730 Raipur–Dongargarh MEMU. Train number 68729 will run up to Gondia, while train number 68730 will operate from Gondia to Raipur.
This arrangement will be in effect from October 11 to October 20. The return train, number 68730, will operate from October 12 to October 21.
Extension of Durg-Gondia MEMU up to Raipur
In view of the fair, the route of the 68741/68742 Durg–Gondia MEMU has also been temporarily extended. This train will operate up to Raipur from October 11 to October 20. This will provide passengers from Raipur, Bhilai, and Durg with additional rail connectivity to reach Dongargarh.
Additionally, several long-distance trains will be granted a temporary two-minute halt at Dongargarh station.
Major trains to halt at Dongargarh
During the fair, several major trains—including the Bilaspur–Bhagat Ki Kothi, Bhagat Ki Kothi–Bilaspur, Bilaspur–Bikaner, Bikaner–Bilaspur, Bilaspur–Chennai, Chennai–Bilaspur, Bilaspur–Pune, Pune–Bilaspur, and Secunderabad–Raipur—will be given an additional stop at Dongargarh station.
This will greatly benefit pilgrims traveling to Dongargarh from distant cities.
Train services affected by landslide in Odisha
Meanwhile, train operations have been disrupted due to a landslide in the Rayagada division of Odisha. Several trains have been cancelled, and some have been short-terminated, following a landslide between Maliguda and Chhatariput stations.
The 18108 Jagdalpur–Rourkela Express will remain cancelled from October 9 to 13. Similarly, the 18515 Visakhapatnam–Kirandul Express, 18516 Kirandul–Visakhapatnam Express, and 18107 Rourkela–Jagdalpur Express will remain cancelled from October 8 to 12.
The 18005 Howrah–Jagdalpur Express will run only up to Koraput from October 8 to 12.
Services between Koraput and Jagdalpur also affected
Rail services between Koraput and Jagdalpur will also be affected due to the landslide. The 18006 Jagdalpur–Howrah Express will originate from Koraput between October 10 and 14. Similarly, the 18447 Bhubaneswar–Jagdalpur Hirakhand Express will run up to Koraput from October 8 to 12, while the 18448 Jagdalpur–Bhubaneswar Hirakhand Express will originate from Koraput between October 9 and 13.
Additionally, the 58501 Visakhapatnam–Kirandul Passenger will run up to Koraput from October 8 to 12, and the 58502 Kirandul–Visakhapatnam Passenger will originate from Koraput between October 8 and 12.
The Railways has appealed to passengers to check the status of their trains before setting out on their journey.
