Mumbai-Ayodhya special trains will add 24 weekly services between Lokmanya Tilak Terminus and Ayodhya Cantt from October 19 to November 28, giving passengers more travel options during the Dussehra, Diwali and Chhath Puja season.
Central Railway announced the services in a press release, stating that the trains will operate as 12 trips in each direction. The services will use Amrit Bharat rakes and are intended to cater to the expected increase in passenger demand during the festive period.
Train No. 01045 will leave Lokmanya Tilak Terminus at 7.35 am every Monday and Friday from October 19 to November 27. It will reach Ayodhya Cantt at 10.15 am the following day. In the return direction, Train No. 01046 will depart from Ayodhya Cantt at 1.50 pm every Tuesday and Saturday from October 20 to November 28, arriving at Lokmanya Tilak Terminus at 5.15 pm the next day.
The trains will halt at Kalyan, Igatpuri, Nashik Road, Manmad, Bhusaval, Khandwa, Itarsi, Jabalpur, Katni, Satna, Manikpur, Prayagraj Junction, Pratapgarh and Sultanpur. The route links Mumbai with several major railway stations across Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh, while also serving passengers travelling to Ayodhya during the festival season.
Each train will have eight sleeper-class coaches, 11 general second-class coaches, one pantry car and two second-seating-cum-guards’ brake vans. The composition provides both reserved sleeper accommodation and unreserved seating for passengers travelling on different budgets and planning horizons.
Bookings for Train No. 01045 are available at computerised reservation centres and through the Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation website. Passengers seeking tickets for the unreserved coaches can use the normal-fare booking facility on the UTS system. The RailOne app is also available for bookings.
Central Railway advised passengers to check detailed timings at intermediate stations through the National Train Enquiry System website or the NTES app. The additional services are part of the railway’s arrangements for managing seasonal demand, when long-distance passenger volumes typically rise around major festivals.
The railway has also announced additional services for Dhamma Chakra Pravartan Diwas 2026. Between October 18 and 22, 24 special train services connected Nagpur with Mumbai, Pune, Solapur, Nashik Road, Akola and Bhusaval for passengers travelling to the annual observance. The event commemorates Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar’s conversion to Buddhism with his followers in 1956.
