Festival season rail travel just got a serious upgrade. A special Vande Bharat service between New Delhi and Patna launches this week as a seasonal add-on designed to ease the Diwali–Chhath crush. The run time is about thirteen hours with a compact halt list, modern interiors and the usual Vande Bharat comforts.
Schedule and window. The service operates as a festive special through mid November, with commercial runs beginning from Patna on October 11 and the Delhi departure commencing the following day. The typical timing is an 08:35 departure from New Delhi reaching Patna around 21:30, and a 10:00 return from Patna reaching New Delhi close to 23:30. Always recheck on the day of travel because specials can adjust slightly as demand shifts.
Halts and numbering. The train is slated to stop at Aligarh, Kanpur Central, Prayagraj Junction, Pt Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Junction, Buxar and Ara. The special is running under festive-series numbers, so do not rely on your old memory of regular Vande Bharat codes. Use the exact number listed for your date when you book and when you track live status.
Seat selection and booking tips. Specials fill fast but also see last-minute drops. If you are a group, hunt for adjacent seats on the map and split into pairs if needed, then ask onboard for swaps. If you are solo, middle-of-coach seats ride quieter. For families with elders, aim for coaches near the doors and avoid the immediate end rows that face frequent footfall.
Fares and classes. Indicative one-way fares are in the Chair Car and Executive Class brackets common to this rake family, with dynamic pricing in play as berths sell. Expect the lower tier to be the value pick if you are booking early, and the premium tier to make sense for late buyers who want extra space and service. Snacks and hot beverages are part of the onboard routine; check your ticket for whether catering is bundled on your specific date.
Connections at both ends. In the capital, factor in airport or bus transfers with a healthy buffer because festival traffic is intense. In Patna, autos and cabs queue fast at evening arrivals; prebook a local ride if you are traveling with luggage or kids. Hotels near the station fill quickly during Chhath week, so reserve early.
What this means for travelers. By compressing the journey into thirteen hours with limited halts, the special gives you a daylight start and a sensible late-evening arrival. For many families, that beats an overnight where sleep is patchy. If you struggled to find seats on other routes, this train is the fresh option worth trying first.
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