IRCTC Passenger Train Start from May 12
Railways announces gradual restart of passenger train operations from May 12
Indian Railways has announced gradual restart of passenger train operations from 12th of this month. Initially 15 pairs of trains will ply with passengers onboard.
These trains will be run as special trains from New Delhi Station connecting Dibrugarh, Agartala, Howrah, Patna, Bilaspur, Ranchi, Bhubaneswar, Secunderabad, Bengaluru, Chennai, Thiruvananthapuram, Madgaon, Mumbai Central, Ahmedabad and Jammu Tawi. Booking for reservation in these trains will start at 4 pm on 11th May and will be available only on the IRCTC website.
Ticket booking counters at the railway stations shall remain closed and counter tickets will not be issued. Only passengers with valid confirmed tickets will be allowed to enter the railway stations. Passengers will have to wear face cover and undergo screening at departure and only asymptomatic passengers will be allowed to board the train.
Railways will start more special services on new routes. 20 thousand coaches have been reserved as COVID-19 care centres and adequate number of coaches are also kept reserved to enable operation of up to 300 trains everyday as Shramik Special for stranded migrants.
Here are the special train services starting around 12 May 2025, officially announced by Indian Railways and IRCTC to meet the high summer travel demand:
Contents
🌟 Key Special Trains from Mid-May 2025
🔹 06529 / 06530 – Bengaluru (SMVT) ↔ Gorakhpur Summer Special
- Start Date: 12 May 2025 (with two additional round trips on 19 & 26 May)
- Runs: Three round trips only (Not daily)
- 06529 departs Bengaluru SMVT at 19:00 on 12, 19 & 26 May
- 06530 departs Gorakhpur on 16, 23 & 30 May at ~06:40 AM arrival after 3 nights
- Route & Major Halts: Kaduru → Davangere → Ghataprabha → Pune → Bhopal (Raipurampura / Rani Kamlapati) → Jhansi → Prayagraj Jn → Varanasi → Gorakhpur
- Coach Composition: 1A, 2A, 3A, Sleeper, General
- Journey Duration: ~3 nights (arrives early morning)
🔹 06061 / 06062 – Ernakulam Jn ↔ Velankanni Express Special
- Start Date: 14 May 2025
- Frequency: Weekly departures on selected Wednesdays and Thursdays
- 06061 departs Ernakulam at 23:50 on May 14, 21, 28, and June 4 → arrives Velankanni ~15:15 next day
- 06062 returns departing Velankanni at 18:40 on Thursdays (May 15, 22, 29, June 5) → reaches Ernakulam ~11:55 next day
- Coach Composition: 1 AC‑2T, 3 AC‑3T, 8 Sleeper, 4 General Second Class, 2 Disabled‑friendly second class
📋 Other Noteworthy Specials Around 12 May
- Several Mela/Festival or zone-headquarter specials began in mid-May 2025, including:
- Ahmedabad ↔ Danapur (09407/09408) weekly runs
- Pune ↔ Nagpur AC superfast seasonal services
- Udhna ↔ Gaya, Muzaffarpur ↔ Anand Vihar, Darbhanga ↔ New Delhi seasonal trains, etc.
✅ Quick Reference Table
| Train Nos. | Route | Start Date | Frequency | Duration | Key Features |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 06529/06530 | Bengaluru SMVT ↔ Gorakhpur | 12 May 2025 | 3 round trips (weekly) | ~3 nights (arrives early morning) | AC/Sleeper/General classes, Pune–Varanasi route |
| 06061/06062 | Ernakulam Jn ↔ Velankanni | 14 May 2025 | Weekly (Wed,/Thu) | Overnight (~12–16 h journey) | Seasonal faith travel special with AC, sleeper |
ℹ️ Booking & Travel Tips
- These trains are temporary “summer special” services, not part of the permanent timetable.
- Reservation opens at least several weeks before travel date; book via IRCTC, railway counters, or authorized agents.
- For full schedules (including intermediate halts, timing, coach composition), check:
- Zone-specific press releases (e.g., NER, SR)
- IRCTC PDF special train listings
- Travel apps like RailYatri, MakeMyTrip, Indiarailinfo
Would you like detailed station-wise timetables for one of these trains, or help checking availability for your preferred date?