New Delhi, Feb. 5 -- The Railways on Thursday announced running an unprecedented number of Holi special trains this year to ensure smooth, comfortable and hassle-free travel during the rush. More than 1,410 Holi special trains will be operated on the national network, with the total reaching about 1,500 services to meet the seasonal surge in demand.
An official release said that these special services will run throughout March, the period when passenger movement is at its peak before and after the festival. This is a big jump from Holi 2025 when 1,144 Holi special trips were scheduled.
In fact, the plan is showing wide coverage in region after region: East Central Railway will operate the maximum number of 285 Holi specials, followed by Western Railway with 231 and Central Railway with 209. South Central Railway has 160 planned trains, while Northern Railway is running 108 services to manage heavy traffic on major northern routes.
Besides, North Western Railway arranges for 71 trains, North Central Railway 66, North Eastern Railway and East Coast Railway 62 each. South Western Railway will operate 47 services, West Central Railway 43 and Southern Railway 39. As many as 15 specials South East Central Railway, Konkan Railway nine and Northeast Frontier Railway two would mitigate the regional requirement.
The Indian Railways hopes this widespread introduction will decongest, help connect major destinations more comfortably, and facilitate a very safe journey for passengers during this period, which is one of the busiest travel periods in the country. This move epitomises railways' plans to have efficient operations during festivals when there is much demand for long-distance and intercity travel.
Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Millennium Post.