Pune Diwali special buses will increase seasonal connectivity from Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad, with around 1,200 regular and additional Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation services planned for destinations across the state. The Pune division has also revised the schedule of an unreserved Pune-Nagpur special train for passengers travelling for Dhammachakra Pravartan Day.
The additional and regular ST services are being planned in response to the expected rise in passenger demand during the Diwali holidays. Large numbers of residents from Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad travel to their native towns and villages during the festival period, creating pressure on intercity public transport.
According to the information reported by Pudhari, services have been planned for major cities and regions in Marathwada, Vidarbha, Konkan, Khandesh and western Maharashtra. The Pune division is also preparing to deploy additional buses at short notice, depending on passenger demand beyond the scheduled services.
The buses will operate from major terminals including Swargate, Shivajinagar, Pune railway station and bus stations in Pimpri-Chinchwad. Other depots in the Pune division will also be used for the additional operations. The arrangement is intended to expand capacity at the points from which a substantial share of festival-period intercity travel begins.
The ST administration has appealed to passengers to avoid last-minute crowds by booking their journeys in advance through the corporation’s official website or at ST reservation centres. The report did not specify a route-wise breakup of the 1,200 services or the exact dates and timings for each additional bus operation.
For passengers travelling towards Nagpur, the Pune division of the railway administration has revised the dates and timings of an unreserved special service operated between Pune and Nagpur. Train 01215 will leave Pune railway station at 2.50 pm on 19 October 2026 and reach Nagpur at 7.30 am the following day. One trip is scheduled in this direction.
The return service, train 01216, will depart from Nagpur at 10 am on 21 October 2026 and arrive in Pune at 5.10 am the next day. This service will also operate for one trip.
The special train will have 18 ICF coaches. Of these, 16 coaches will comprise unreserved general second-class and sleeper-class coaches, while two coaches will be guard and luggage vans. Since all passenger coaches are unreserved, travellers can obtain tickets through the UTS system or from ticket counters at railway stations.
The railway administration has said that regular mail and express fares will apply to the special services. In both directions, the train will stop at Daund Cord Line, Ahilyanagar, Belapur, Kopargaon, Ankai passing halt, Manmad, Chalisgaon, Pachora, Jalgaon, Bhusawal, Malkapur, Nandura, Shegaon, Akola, Murtizapur, Badnera, Dhamangaon, Pulgaon, Wardha and Ajni. The next operational milestone is the scheduled departure of the Pune-Nagpur service on 19 October and the return journey from Nagpur on 21 October.
