Indian Railways: As the festival of Holi approaches, the number of passengers returning home across the country increases dramatically. Like every year, anticipating heavy rush on trains, the Indian Railways has taken a significant decision. The Railways has planned to run over 1,410 special trains during Holi 2026, with the potential to increase the number to 1,500 if needed. These trains will operate in March to ensure safe and comfortable travel for passengers.
According to the Railway Ministry, these special trains are intended to control the crowds that typically occur during the festival and provide better connectivity on major routes. Last year, during Holi 2025, the Railways operated 1,144 special train trips, while this time significantly more preparations have been made.
Zone-wise, where will the number of Holi special trains run?
Keeping passenger traffic in mind, the Railways has prepared a comprehensive plan for trains by zone. East Central Railway will operate the highest number of Holi special trains, with 285, followed by Western Railway with 231, and Central Railway with 209. Northern Railway will operate 108 special trains, while North Western Railway will operate 71 and North Central Railway will operate 66.
North Eastern Railway and East Coast Railway will operate 62 special trains each. In addition, South Western Railway will operate 47, Western Railway 43, and Southern Railway 39 Holi special trains. South East Central Railway will operate 15 trains, while Konkan Railway will operate 9 and North East Frontier Railway will operate 2 special trains to meet regional demand.
Major special trains of East Central Railway
East Central Railway is operating several long-distance Holi special trains. These include the Sogaria-Danapur-Sogaria, Rani Kamlapati-Danapur-Rani Kamlapati-Agartala, and Hapa-Naharlagun special trains. These trains will operate on different dates during the last week of February and March, providing significant relief to travelers traveling to Bihar, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, and Northeast India.
North Western Railway has also extended its operating period
The North Western Railway has also extended the operation of several weekly special trains in view of Holi. Several special trains connecting Bikaner-Sainagar Shirdi, Hisar-Khadki, Hisar-Valsad, Bhagat Ki Kothi-Bandra Terminus, and Ajmer will run until the end of March to provide convenience to passengers from Rajasthan and Western India.
The operation of such a large number of Holi special trains will reduce pressure on waiting lists and increase the chances of getting confirmed tickets. The Railways states that special attention will be paid to crowd management, maintaining security, and ensuring hassle-free travel of passengers to their destinations during the festival.
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Sweta Mitra
Working in the media for last 7 years. The journey started in the year 2018. For the past few years, my working experience has been in Bengali media. Currently working at Timesbull.com. Here I write like Business, National, and Utility News. My favorite hobbies are listening to music, traveling, food,...
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