UditVani, Jamshedpur : To accommodate the surge of passengers during the upcoming festive season, Indian Railways has decided to introduce special festival trains connecting Visakhapatnam and Shalimar. These additional services will help ease festive travel pressure and provide more convenient options for passengers.
Train Schedule and Frequency
Train No. 08508 Visakhapatnam–Shalimar Festival Special
Departure: Every Tuesday from September 9 to October 21
Time: 11:20 hrs from Visakhapatnam
Arrival: 03:00 hrs the next day at Shalimar
Train No. 08507 Shalimar–Visakhapatnam Festival Special
Departure: Every Wednesday from 10th September to 22nd October 2025
Time: 05:00 hrs from Shalimar
Arrival: 20:50 hrs the same day at Visakhapatnam
Route and Stoppages
The special trains will halt at key stations under South Eastern Railway (SER) jurisdiction, namely:
* Santragachi
* Kharagpur
* Baleshwar
Purpose and Benefits
The initiative has been taken to meet the extra passenger demand during Durga Puja and Diwali festivities, when trains generally witness heavy rush. The move will:
Provide more travel options for passengers from Andhra Pradesh, Odisha, and West Bengal.
Ease crowding in regular trains
Offer better connectivity between coastal Andhra Pradesh and Kolkata region.
Railways has advised passengers to plan their travel in advance and book tickets at the earliest, as demand is expected to be high during this festive season.
