The opposition Congress and the Samajwadi party have been critical of the Indian Railways for running special trains for ‘communal’ reasons. But the ruling BJP government defends saying, the trains were introduced on the basis of demands of the devotees. Notwithstanding political view points, the Railways managed rail traffic during the Mauni Amavasya period, operating 244 special trains across the country since 3 January 2026, ensuring smooth and convenient travel for Hindu devotees. These trains, run by 31 trains of Northern Railway (NR), 158 trains of North Central Railway (NCR), and 55 trains of North Eastern Railway (NER), served around 4.5 lakh passengers.

Source: The Hindu January 21, 2026 16:28 UTC