VARANASI: Passengers travelling from the Cantt bus station and other depots in the Varanasi region will have additional services from November 6 to November 17, 2026, under festival arrangements detailed on Wednesday, November 4. The regional plan provides for 185 extra buses alongside 146 existing services, taking the stated deployment to 331 for the Diwali and Chhath travel period.

For residents planning journeys to Lucknow, Kanpur or Baidhan, the useful next step is to check the departure, boarding point and availability for their particular date. The regional deployment covers several depots, including Jaunpur, Ghazipur and Shaktinagar. The figure of 331 therefore describes the regional arrangement and should not be read as the number leaving Cantt for a single destination.

Regional manager Parshuram Pandey outlined the additional services in reports on the preparations. Passengers can check the corporation's official passenger guidance before booking and use its published helpline, 1800-180-2877, for assistance. An announcement of extra buses does not by itself reserve a seat for an individual passenger.

Which services the festival plan adds

The reports agree on 31 additional buses for the Varanasi to Lucknow route and 13 for Varanasi to Kanpur. They also identify Gorakhpur as a route receiving additional capacity, although the available accounts give different figures for that corridor. No route total for Gorakhpur is being stated here until the allocation can be established consistently.

The plan runs for 12 days, covering outward journeys and the period when travellers will also need return services. Staff duties at depots are being arranged in shifts for ticketing, enquiries and operations. The stated purpose is to handle increased festival demand. Travellers should obtain the information for their own service rather than assume all buses in the regional plan follow the same timetable.

  • Special operation period: November 6 to November 17, 2026.
  • Regional additions: 185 buses.
  • Existing deployment cited in the plan: 146 buses.
  • Combined regional deployment: 331 buses.
  • Confirmed additions on two routes: Lucknow 31 and Kanpur 13.

What residents should do before booking

The corporation's official FAQ says online passengers can choose between services using boarding points, departure times and bus types. Check all three against the journey you intend to make. A service serving the same city can still have a different boarding arrangement. The e-ticket identifies the service's originating place, departure time and destination, which are the details to retain for the journey.

Registration is not compulsory for booking: the FAQ permits a guest booking. It also says that online cancellation is available to registered users. Someone who expects plans to change should read that condition before selecting the booking method. The payment card holder does not have to travel, but the passenger must carry valid proof of identity when boarding.

A printed e-ticket is not compulsory under the FAQ; an electronic e-ticket with the authorised passenger's valid photo identification is accepted. Registered passengers can obtain another copy through their ticket account if necessary. A guest who loses the ticket can approach the helpdesk with the booking details, where assistance depends on establishing the authorised passenger's identity.

Check names, age, journey date and time before completing a reservation. The corporation says a booked e-ticket cannot subsequently be altered to change these details. Its prescribed route is cancellation of the existing booking followed by a fresh reservation. Availability and cancellation deductions therefore matter if someone discovers an error after paying.

The official FAQ lists credit cards, debit cards and internet banking as online payment options. It says cancellation refunds normally take seven to ten days and return to the original card or bank account. Keep the transaction reference as well as the ticket details if a refund needs to be traced.

Cancellation deductions to check

The official reservation portal's cancellation policy retains reservation and convenience charges when cancellation takes place more than 24 hours before scheduled departure. From 24 hours to two hours before departure, it additionally retains 10 percent of the basic fare. From two hours to one hour before departure, that basic fare deduction becomes 15 percent.

The policy provides no refund within the final hour before scheduled departure or after the bus has left. Read the applicable policy while booking and keep the ticket reference. The corporation's contact page lists the passenger helpline. Its reservation portal also warns passengers against disclosing banking credentials to people offering help with failed transactions or refunds.

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