# Festival special vs regular trains: fare, speed and priority differences 2026-10-05T22:12:11+00:00 | Governance | Indian Opinion Desk Corroboration: 1 independent outlet Indian Railways runs festival special trains during Diwali, Chhath, Holi and Durga Puja when regular trains have long waiting lists. The fares on these special trains are 10 to 30 per cent higher than regular trains because of a special fare structure. Regular trains get priority on routes and generally run on time. Festival special trains are often held up to give way to regular trains, making them more likely to be delayed. The railways operates these special trains under special arrangements. ## Indian Opinion Analysis The fare difference of 10 to 30 per cent means a family travelling on a festival special could pay several hundred rupees more per ticket. Passengers must weigh the certainty of a confirmed seat against the higher cost and greater risk of delay. The railways does not specify how much delay a passenger should expect, leaving travellers to decide on their own. ## Coverage - amarujala.com Straight comparison of fares and delays, no advocacy or criticism This brief was synthesised by AI from the source linked above. Tags: Diwali, Durga Puja, Holi, Indian Railways Canonical: https://indianopinion.org/festival-special-vs-regular-trains-fare-speed-and-priority-differences/ License: Summary and commentary (c) Indian Opinion, reusable with attribution. Facts belong to the linked sources. Cite: https://indianopinion.org/festival-special-vs-regular-trains-fare-speed-and-priority-differences/#story-in-brief How this brief was made: an AI model read the report linked above and wrote this summary and analysis, which were published automatically. Published briefs are sampled every hour by an automated quality check; the editor verifies its findings and approves corrections, and corrected briefs carry a dated correction line. We do no original reporting. Methodology: https://indianopinion.org/ai-use-policy/