VARANASI: A festival special train arrangement reported on Thursday, October 29, 2026, gives passengers at Varanasi Junction an additional unreserved service to Saharanpur on November 2. The paired train leaves Saharanpur on October 30 and reaches Varanasi the following morning, connecting the city with several stations in western and central Uttar Pradesh.
For residents boarding in the Cantt area, the important departure is train 04551 from Varanasi Junction at 2 pm IST on Monday, November 2. Its scheduled arrival in Saharanpur is 7 am IST on Tuesday, November 3. This is a dated special service, so passengers should ask for that train and journey date when checking ticketing arrangements.
Families receiving visitors have a different date to plan around. Train 04552 is scheduled to leave Saharanpur at 2 pm IST on Friday, October 30, and arrive at Varanasi at 7 am IST on Saturday, October 31. Travellers should confirm the current running information before arranging a pickup or a connecting journey.
The journey dates at a glance
| Train | Departure, IST | Arrival, IST |
|---|---|---|
| 04552, Saharanpur to Varanasi Junction | October 30, 2 pm | October 31, 7 am |
| 04551, Varanasi Junction to Saharanpur | November 2, 2 pm | November 3, 7 am |
The terminal timings give a scheduled journey of 17 hours in each direction. Railway reports describe one trip each way, not a daily service running between the two dates. In particular, October 31 is the Varanasi arrival date of the incoming special, rather than the advertised date of its return departure.
Which places the train connects
The route between the terminals includes Moradabad, Bareilly, Shahjahanpur, Hardoi, Alamnagar, Rae Bareli Junction, Maa Belha Devi Dham Pratapgarh Junction and Janghai. For Varanasi passengers, this provides intermediate destinations along the route as well as the end to end connection with Saharanpur. The service uses Alamnagar in the Lucknow area.
On the incoming journey, the reported timetable places the special at Alamnagar at 11:35 pm IST on October 30 before it continues towards Rae Bareli, Pratapgarh and Janghai. In the reverse direction, the train is listed at Alamnagar at 9:35 pm IST on November 2. Passengers using that halt should check Alamnagar specifically when making onward arrangements.
The train numbers distinguish the directions. Use 04551 when enquiring about the service starting at Varanasi and 04552 for the journey starting at Saharanpur. For boarding at an intermediate station, obtain that station's timing for the relevant date; the terminal departure time alone will not tell you when to reach your own boarding point.
What residents should do
The train is described as an unreserved special. Ask the station ticket counter for the valid ticket and applicable fare for your boarding and destination stations. Do not treat this announcement as a reserved berth confirmation. No fare amount or guaranteed seat availability has been established in the verified service information used for this report.
Before leaving home, check the service through the Northern Railway official portal, which provides train schedule and train tracking links. At the station, confirm the boarding platform from the current display or announcement. The checked reports establish the journey dates and route but do not provide an assigned platform for this pair at Varanasi Junction.
Station facilities also reviewed
Separately, Northern Railway general manager Rajesh Kumar Pandey inspected Varanasi Junction on Wednesday, October 28, with divisional railway manager Sunil Kumar Verma. Reports of the visit describe a review of the concourse, the new station building works, cleanliness and passenger facilities. The inspection concerns arrangements at the Junction; it does not announce a different departure time for this special.
For background on other local rail developments, see the desk's coverage of the Delhi sleeper timetable, the proposed repair shed near Cantt and Lohta and earlier examination special trains. Those are separate services or projects, with their own dates and operating arrangements.
