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With Raksha Bandhan falling on Friday, August 28, Indian Railways has lined up a set of special services on routes connecting Delhi with Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh to help ease the festival rush. Most of these trains will run through the last week of August, covering some of the busiest corridors for passengers heading home to tie rakhi. Here’s a full route-wise breakdown of what’s running and when.
Kota-Hazrat Nizamuddin Raksha Bandhan Special
This is one of the few services officially named a Raksha Bandhan Special by Northern Railway, introduced specifically to handle the extra passenger rush during the festival.
| Train Name | Train No. | Route | Dates | Departure | Arrival | Major Stoppages |
| Kota-Hazrat Nizamuddin Raksha Bandhan Special | 09803/09804 | Kota-Delhi | Aug 22, 24, 26 / Aug 23, 25, 27 | Kota ~10:15 pm | NZM ~7 am next day | Sawai Madhopur, Gangapur City, Hindaun, Bayana, Bharatpur, Mathura |
Delhi To Uttar Pradesh
Passengers travelling between Delhi and UP have a few additional options this week, particularly on the Prayagraj corridor.
| Train Name | Train No. | Route | Dates | Departure | Arrival | Major Stoppages |
| Subedarganj-Shakur Basti Special | 02275/02276 | Prayagraj-Delhi | Selected dates, Aug 25-31 | ~9:35 pm | ~10 am next day | Fatehpur, Kanpur, Etawah, Tundla, Aligarh |
| Subedarganj-Shakur Basti Special | 04147/04148 | Prayagraj-Delhi | Aug 26-27 | ~9:35 pm | ~10 am | Fatehpur, Kanpur, Etawah, Tundla |
| Subedarganj-Shakur Basti Special | 04163/04164 | Prayagraj-Delhi | Aug 27-28 | ~9:35 pm | ~10 am | Fatehpur, Kanpur, Etawah, Aligarh |
Since these trains don’t run daily, checking the exact date before booking is worth doing.
Delhi To Agra, Mathura And Jhansi
These services add extra connectivity between Delhi and key stations spread across UP and MP.
| Train Name | Train No. | Route | Dates | Departure | Arrival | Major Stoppages |
| Virangana Lakshmibai Jhansi-Hazrat Nizamuddin Special | 01901/01902 | Jhansi-Delhi | Aug 27-28 | Jhansi ~11 am | NZM ~6:30 pm | Datia, Gwalior, Morena, Dholpur, Agra Cantt, Mathura |
| Jhansi-Hazrat Nizamuddin Special | 01903/01904 | Jhansi-Delhi | Aug 26-31 | Jhansi ~7:20 pm | NZM ~3:05 am next day | Gwalior, Morena, Dholpur, Agra, Mathura |
| Khajuraho-Hazrat Nizamuddin Special | 01913/01914 | Khajuraho-Delhi | Aug 26, 28, 30 / Aug 27, 29, 31 | Khajuraho ~5 pm | NZM ~7:30 am next day | Chhatarpur, Jhansi, Gwalior, Agra, Mathura |
Passengers heading to Agra, Mathura, Gwalior, Morena or Jhansi can pick whichever of these fits their travel date.
Delhi To Madhya Pradesh
Beyond the Jhansi and Khajuraho routes, MP travellers also have services connecting further into the state.
| Train Name | Train No. | Route | Dates | Departure | Arrival | Major Stoppages |
| Jabalpur-Hazrat Nizamuddin Special | 01701/01702 | Jabalpur-Delhi | Aug 29-30 | Jabalpur ~8:20 pm | NZM ~2:25 pm next day | Katni, Damoh, Sagar, Jhansi, Gwalior, Agra |
| Bhopal-Rewa Special | 02155/02156 | Bhopal-Rewa | Aug 25-26 | Bhopal ~10:25 pm | Rewa ~7:20 am | Bina, Sagar, Damoh, Katni, Maihar, Satna |
| Bhopal-Rewa Special | 02189/02190 | Bhopal-Rewa | Aug 26-27 | Bhopal ~10:25 pm | Rewa ~7:20 am | Bina, Sagar, Damoh, Katni, Maihar, Satna |
| Rewa-Bhopal Special | 2154 | Rewa-Bhopal | Aug 29 | Rewa ~6:35 pm | Bhopal ~4:30 am next day | Satna, Maihar, Katni, Damoh, Sagar |
Other Regional Connections
| Train Name | Train No. | Route | Dates | Departure | Arrival | Major Stoppages |
| Sogaria-Mathura Special | 02921/02922 | Sogaria-Mathura | Aug 24-30 | Sogaria ~8:30 am | Mathura ~2:10 pm | Kota, Bharatpur, Mathura |
Delhi To Patna: Proceed With Caution
Anyone specifically searching for a “Delhi to Patna Raksha Bandhan Special” should be careful not to confuse regular Delhi-Patna services with dedicated Rakhi trains. No specific Raksha Bandhan special for this route has been confirmed so far. If one is announced closer to the festival, its train number, running date and timings should be checked before travelling, since railway zones sometimes add trains at short notice based on demand.
Delhi To Mumbai: Check Before Assuming
The same caution applies to a “Delhi to Mumbai Raksha Bandhan Special.” Regular Delhi-Mumbai trains remain the primary option, and passengers should check with Northern, Western or Central Railway for any additional services specifically added for August 27 to 29 rather than assuming every extra August train is a Rakhi special.
East And South India
Passengers travelling from Bihar, Jharkhand and West Bengal should keep an eye on their respective railway zone announcements, since not every special train running in late August is necessarily tied to Raksha Bandhan, some are linked to other festivals or general seasonal demand. Similarly, travellers from Kerala, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Telangana and Andhra Pradesh may find extra services around this weekend, but a number of these are actually Onam rush specials, which happen to overlap with Raksha Bandhan this year. These are best described as festival specials rather than Raksha Bandhan specials specifically.
Quick Travel Tips For Raksha Bandhan
Before heading out, passengers are advised to confirm the train name and number, verify the exact date of operation, check the boarding station carefully, note the latest departure and arrival timings, reach the station early given the festive crowd, check live running status before leaving home, carry a valid ID along with the ticket, confirm platform details at the station, and avoid relying on old social media posts for schedule information.
Disclaimer: Train names, numbers, dates and timings mentioned above may be subject to change and should be verified on the official IRCTC or Indian Railways website before travelling. Not every special train running during this period is officially a Raksha Bandhan Special, some are linked to other festivals or general seasonal demand. Passengers travelling to Patna, Mumbai or other destinations not specifically listed here should check the latest railway zone notification for their exact journey date rather than assuming a regular train has been converted into a festival special.
Khushi Patel is a Senior Sub Editor at NewsX, covering automotive, technology, Lifestyle, entertainment, and mainstream news. She previously worked as a Copy Editor at Times Network and has written automotive editorial content, including comparison pieces, for TimesDrive.
