NWR to operate special trains as Bengal poll travel rush fills key routes

Jaipur: Anticipating a rise in passenger traffic ahead of the upcoming West Bengal Legislative Assembly elections 2026, the North Western Railway (NWR) decided to operate at least five special trains connecting Rajasthan with West Bengal.

Railway officials said bookings on major routes are already running at full capacity, prompting urgent measures to manage the seasonal and election-driven rush.

The elections are scheduled from April 23 to 29 to elect all 294 members of the state assembly. With large-scale movement of migrant workers employed in cities like Bikaner, Jodhpur, Ajmer and Jaipur, along with political supporters and traders, demand for eastbound trains has surged significantly in recent days.


NWR authorities said the special trains will be operated from Ajmer, Bikaner, Jodhpur and Jaipur, focusing on high-demand routes such as Howrah-Jodhpur and Ajmer-Sealdah. "This will be completely demand-based. Usually during summers, the rush for West Bengal-bound trains increases and we run additional services accordingly," said chief public relations officer, NWR, Amit Sudarshan, while talking to TOI.

At present, one weekly special train is running between Khatipura (Jaipur) and Howrah. Train Nos. 09709/09710 Khatipura-Howrah-Khatipura weekly special is running from April 7 to July 1, 2026, completing 26 trips (13 in each direction).

Officials said additional services to Kolkata and nearby stations such as Sealdah and Dankuni will be introduced depending on passenger demand. Meanwhile, the proposed Khatipura-Dankuni special train is currently awaiting approval.

Officials believe the additional services will help ease congestion, improve connectivity and ensure smoother travel during one of the busiest periods of the season.
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