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During the holy month of Sawan, Shiva devotees from Prayagraj and nearby districts will get improved rail connectivity to some of India's famous Jyotirling shrines. The North Central Railway (NCR) has announced special train services to Baba Baidyanath Dham in Deoghar, Mahakaleshwar in Ujjain and Somnath to make pilgrimage travel easier for devotees.
Railway officials stated that NCR is also considering introducing train connectivity to Kashi Vishwanath Dham in Varanasi, depending on passenger demand and response.
For devotees travelling to Baba Baidyanath Dham, Jasidih and Madhupur railway stations will act as the main rail points for reaching Deoghar. Special arrangements have been made to manage the expected increase in passenger numbers during Sawan.
Sawan Special Trains
As part of these services, NCR will operate the Prayagraj Junction-Veraval-Prayagraj weekly special train (04173/04174) from August 6 to September 25. This train will provide direct connectivity towards the Dwarka-Somnath region. It will depart from Prayagraj every Thursday and from Veraval every Friday, completing eight trips in both directions.
Devotees planning to visit the Mahakaleshwar Jyotirling shrine in Ujjain will benefit from the Subedarganj-Indore-Subedarganj bi-weekly special train (04169/04170). The train has a scheduled stop at Ujjain, which serves as an important gateway for pilgrims visiting the temple. The service, which is already running twice a week, will continue until the end of September.
To handle the additional rush during the Sawan season, NCR has also approved 10 extra trips of the Virangana Lakshmibai Jhansi-Asansol-Virangana Lakshmibai Jhansi bi-weekly special train (04185/04186). These additional services will operate between July 29 and August 31 with more coaches to accommodate the growing number of passengers.
NCR Chief Public Relations Officer Dr Shivam Sharma said the special train plan has been prepared to ensure smooth and convenient travel for lakhs of devotees expected to undertake religious journeys during Sawan. He added that the railway may introduce more services to Kashi Vishwanath Dham in Varanasi if there is a strong demand from passengers.