What happened: The Uttar Pradesh State Road Transport Corporation (UPSRTC) will run extra buses from Raebareli for the Diwali and Chhath rush from 6 to 17 November 2026. Amar Ujala reports that the Delhi route will go up from 16 buses to 38. Some buses will be taken off rural routes to make this possible. The Raebareli depot runs 166 buses, of which 94 belong to the corporation and 72 are on contract. Extra trips will also run to Lucknow, Kanpur, Ayodhya, Fatehpur, Pratapgarh and Prayagraj. Dainik Jagran gives a smaller figure. It quotes Regional Manager Vimal Rajan as saying 10 to 12 extra buses will go on the Delhi route. The sources also differ on titles. Amar Ujala names Aditya Prakash as Assistant Regional Manager, while Hindustan calls him the Raebareli Regional Manager. Hindustan says UPSRTC Managing Director Prabhu N Singh issued the order.
Why it matters: Thousands of Raebareli families work in Delhi and other cities and come home for the festivals. Diwali falls on 8 November, Bhai Dooj on 11 November and Chhath from 13 to 16 November, Jagran reports. The corporation has cancelled leave, weekly rest and duty rest for staff during this period, except for a death in the family or serious illness, Hindustan says. Drivers and conductors who complete an average of 300 km a day will get an incentive. Hindustan puts it at Rs 4,400 for 11 days and Rs 4,800 for all 12 days. Contract and outsourced staff get 55 paise for each extra km. Technical and depot staff get Rs 2,100 to Rs 2,500. Jagran adds that each bus station will get Rs 5,000 for arrangements.
Honest opinion: More buses on the Delhi route will help returning workers most. The cost may fall on village passengers, because some rural buses are being moved to long routes. Past festival seasons show that crowds peak a day or two before Diwali and after Chhath, so the real test comes around 7 November and 17 November. The gap between 38 buses and 10 to 12 extra buses also needs a clear answer from the depot. Confidence: medium.
What you should do: Plan your trip early and travel a day before the peak if you can. Check bus timings at the Raebareli bus station or call the UPSRTC toll free number 1800 1802877, which Jagran lists. If you depend on a rural route bus, ask at the depot this week whether your service will run between 6 and 17 November.
Sources
Amar Ujala, Raebareli, 30 October 2026, 11:56 PM IST, https://www.amarujala.com/uttar-pradesh/raebareli/38-buses-to-run-on-the-delhi-route-during-diwali-operations-to-begin-on-the-6th-raebareli-news-c-101-1-slko1033-171112-2026-10-30
Dainik Jagran, Sarvesh Tripathi, Raebareli, 31 October 2026, 3:53 PM IST, https://www.jagran.com/uttar-pradesh/raebareli-raebareli-special-buses-on-delhi-route-for-diwali-festivals-40422860.html
Hindustan, Raebareli, 30 October 2026, 6:38 PM IST, https://www.livehindustan.com/uttar-pradesh/raebareli/story-uprtc-to-run-extra-buses-for-diwali-and-chhath-rush-from-november-6-17-201793365731880.html
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