Railways arrange special trains for Navratri fair at Dongargarh

RAIPUR: To accommodate the large number of devotees expected at the Navratri mela at the Maa Bamleshwari temple in Dongargarh, Chhattisgarh, the Railways have announced special arrangements, including additional train services, route extensions, and temporary halts. The fair is scheduled to be held from September 22 to October 1.The Gondia-Durg-Gondia MEMU passenger train will be extended to Raipur, departing Raipur at 5.15 am and returning at 10.40 pm. Similarly, the Raipur-Dongargarh MEMU passenger train will be restored and extended to Gondia, with midnight services between Dongargarh and Gondia. A special MEMU passenger train (06886/06885 Dongargarh–Durg–Dongargarh) will also operate during the mela. It will depart Dongargarh at 1 am and return from Durg at 2.40 am. In addition, several long-distance express trains will have a temporary two-minute halt at Dongargarh during the period. These include Bilaspur-Bhagat ki Kothi Express (20843/20844), Bilaspur-Bikaner Express (20845/20846), Bilaspur-Chennai Express (12851/12852), Bilaspur-Pune Express (12849/12850), and Raipur-Secunderabad Express (12771/12772). Officials said the timings of all other services between Durg–Gondia and Raipur–Dongargarh will remain unchanged.