Central Railway will operate two pairs of unreserved Pune-Nagpur special trains from October 19 to 22 to accommodate the expected rush of passengers travelling for Dhammachakra Pravartan Din, the Pune Division said in a press release on Friday.
The festival commemorates Dr B R Ambedkar’s conversion to Buddhism along with around six lakh followers. The additional services are being introduced as Train on Demand services for passengers travelling from Pune to Nagpur and returning after the event.
Train No. 01215 Pune-Nagpur Special will depart from Pune at 2.50 pm on October 19 and October 21. It will reach Nagpur at 7.30 am the following day. In the return direction, Train No. 01216 Nagpur-Pune Special will leave Nagpur at 11 pm on October 20 and October 22, reaching Pune at 4.20 pm the next day.
Each service will have 18 coaches. These will include 16 general second-class or sleeper-class coaches operated as unreserved coaches, along with two guard and luggage vans. Central Railway said all coaches of Train Nos 01215 and 01216 will be operated as unreserved coaches.
Passengers will be able to purchase tickets through the Unreserved Ticketing System, including the UTS mobile application and railway booking counters. Normal fares applicable to Superfast, Mail and Express trains will be charged for the services.
The trains will halt at Daund Chord Line, Ahilyanagar, Belapur, Kopargaon, Ankai, Manmad, Chalisgaon, Pachora, Jalgaon, Bhusaval, Malkapur, Shegaon, Akola, Murtizapur, Badnera, Dhamangaon, Pulgaon, Wardha and Ajni. Ankai will be a passing halt.
The route connects Pune with Nagpur through a series of major railway stations in Maharashtra, including the rail junctions at Manmad, Bhusaval, Akola, Badnera and Wardha. The schedule gives passengers an additional travel option during a period when demand is expected to rise sharply because of the event.
Central Railway has advised passengers to check arrival and departure timings at their respective stations before beginning their journey. Updates are available through the Indian Railways enquiry portal and the National Train Enquiry System app, according to the railway administration.
