Update: Delhi-Katra Festival Specials Run October 15-21, With Two Services Extended to November 7

This builds on our earlier guide to three festival specials from Jammu Tawi and Katra.

The story so far

Ahead of the festive rush, Northern Railway has been adding reserved trains on the route to Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Katra. This update covers a further set of New Delhi-Katra services announced on October 14.

What's new

• 04085 New Delhi to Katra: departs 2:00 pm on October 15 and 17, reaching Katra at 3:00 am the next day.
• 04086 Katra to New Delhi: departs 10:00 am on October 16 and 18, reaching New Delhi at 11:30 pm.
• 04485 New Delhi to Katra: departs 2:15 pm on October 18 and 20, reaching Katra at 3:00 am the next day.
• 04486 Katra to New Delhi: departs 10:00 am on October 19 and 21, reaching New Delhi at 11:30 pm.
• Extended: 04081 runs from New Delhi from October 26 to November 6 (12 trips) and 04082 from Katra from October 27 to November 7 (12 trips), because of sustained passenger demand.

Where they stop

The specials halt at Sonipat, Panipat, Kurukshetra, Ambala Cantt, Dhandari Kalan, Jalandhar Cantt, Pathankot Cantt, Kathua, Jammu Tawi and Shaheed Captain Tushar Mahajan (Udhampur), in both directions. The report does not say whether the extended 04081/04082 follow the same halts.

What is not in the announcement

Fares, coach composition and booking dates were not given; the trains are described only as reserved. For students heading home to Delhi or back, check the IRCTC listing or the Northern Railway notice for the train number before you plan around it. The first runs begin today, so check availability early.

Source: The Tribune, "Northern Railway to run special trains between New Delhi-Katra for festival rush", updated October 14, 2026.