Indian Railways operates 1,244 Holi special trains to manage festive rush

Indian Railways has mounted a massive, nationwide operation to facilitate smooth travel for millions of passengers heading home for Holi, operating hundreds of special trains and strengthening crowd management measures across major stations. With coordinated planning across Railway Zones, the transporter has ensured safe, comfortable and timely journeys during one of the busiest travel periods of the year.

In the Northern Railway zone alone, around 14 lakh passengers travelled from the Delhi area over the past five days. On March 1, approximately 3.36 lakh outward passengers departed from Delhi — an 18 per cent increase compared to the corresponding pre-Holi period last year. To manage the surge, 22 special trains were operated from major Delhi stations on March 1, with another 22 special services scheduled for March 3. Continuous monitoring of passenger movement is underway at key stations to prevent overcrowding and ensure orderly boarding.

Anand Vihar Terminal witnessed extensive arrangements, including designated holding areas, help desks, catering stalls and additional ticket counters to streamline passenger flow. Social media feedback from travellers indicated high levels of satisfaction with the festive arrangements.

South Central Railway (SCR) has also implemented large-scale measures, announcing 195 special trains from the last week of February through March. Between February 21 and March 2, SCR operated 26 special trains from stations such as Secunderabad, Charlapalli and Tirupati to destinations including Raxaul, Nizamuddin, Kollam, Danapur and Bhubaneswar, carrying over 50,000 passengers. On March 1 and 2 alone, nine special trains transported around 15,000 passengers. Enhanced announcements, electronic display boards, deployment of Railway Protection Force (RPF) personnel and promotion of ticketing through Automatic Ticket Vending Machines (ATVMs) and the Rail One App helped manage the rush effectively.

Western Railway recorded over 23 lakh passengers over three days, with 4.85 lakh passengers travelling on March 1. At Udhna station, nearly 20,000 passengers departed on that day alone. In view of heavy rush and rising temperatures, Western Railway distributed nearly 3,000 bottles of packaged drinking water at Udhna, a move widely appreciated by passengers.

Central Railway implemented systematic queue management and enhanced security arrangements at Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus to facilitate safe boarding and de-boarding. North Western Railway operated a record number of special trains with round-the-clock monitoring and strengthened surveillance systems to ensure passenger safety. Eastern Railway managed heavy crowds at Howrah station through disciplined coordination and RPF supervision, while East Central Railway introduced additional services and augmentation of trains on key routes to ease congestion.

Nationwide, Indian Railways is operating 1,244 Holi Special train trips between February 25 and March 18, with the number expected to rise to 1,500 if demand increases. These special trains are connecting major cities, state capitals and regional hubs, providing confirmed accommodation to working professionals, students, daily wage earners and families travelling for the festival.

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Dedicated holding areas, real-time monitoring war rooms, expanded ticketing facilities, bottled water distribution and extensive staff deployment have collectively ensured smooth management of the festive rush. Indian Railways said it will continue to closely monitor passenger demand and maintain enhanced services throughout the Holi travel period, reaffirming its commitment to safe, efficient and passenger-friendly operations.