From Mumbai to Patna, Delhi to Dibrugarh: 1,244 Holi special train trips announced

Indian Railways will operate 1,244 Holi special train trips across multiple zones between February 25 and March 18 to ensure smooth, safe and comfortable travel during the upcoming festival season, the government said on Wednesday.

According to the Ministry of Railways, the number of special trips may be increased to around 1,500 depending on passenger demand during the Holi rush.

The special trains will connect major cities, state capitals and important regional centres across the country, providing confirmed berths and easing congestion on regular services during one of the busiest travel periods of the year.

ECR to run highest number of specials

East Central Railway will operate the highest number of Holi specials, running 50 services comprising 275 trips. These trains will link Bihar and Jharkhand with destinations such as New Delhi, Anand Vihar Terminal, Old Delhi, Chandigarh, Lokmanya Tilak Terminus and SMVT Bengaluru.

Barauni–New Delhi and Darbhanga–New Delhi specials will run daily during the notified period, while Danapur–SMVT Bengaluru and Patna–Howrah specials will cater to both long-distance and regional demand.

Northern Railway to operate 204 trips

Northern Railway will run 48 Holi Special train services covering 204 trips, extensively connecting the Delhi region with Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Uttarakhand and Punjab.

Daily and frequent services will operate between New Delhi and Varanasi, Lucknow, Barauni and Howrah. Special trains will also link Anand Vihar Terminal with Saharsa and Lucknow, and connect Amritsar, Haridwar, Chandigarh and Yog Nagari Rishikesh with eastern and central India.

Central Railway to run 129 trips

Central Railway will operate 20 Holi Special services comprising 129 trips from Mumbai (CSMT and Lokmanya Tilak Terminus), Pune and Nagpur towards key destinations in north and east India.

Daily services such as CSMT–Gorakhpur and Pune–Gorakhpur will run between February 25 and March 8. Other specials will connect Lokmanya Tilak Terminus and Pune with Banaras, Danapur, Samastipur, Hazrat Nizamuddin and Ghazipur City.

Enhanced connectivity from eastern corridor

Eastern Railway will operate 22 special services with 48 trips from Howrah, Sealdah, Kolkata, Malda Town and Asansol towards Bihar, Uttar Pradesh and the Delhi region.

Howrah–Raxaul, Sealdah–Madhubani and Dankuni–Anand Vihar Terminal specials will be among the key services, while additional trains will connect Malda Town with Udhna and Anand Vihar Terminal.

East Coast Railway will run eight services with 62 trips from Visakhapatnam, Puri and Bhubaneswar to destinations such as Shalimar, Patna, Yesvantpur and Dhanbad, including daily Bhubaneswar–Dhanbad specials during the period.

Southern and western zones

Southern Railway will operate 12 services comprising 31 trips connecting MGR Chennai Central, Ernakulam and other southern hubs with Hazrat Nizamuddin, Barauni, Muzaffarpur and Santragachi.

South Central Railway will run 16 services with 40 trips from Charlapalli, Tirupati and Secunderabad towards Danapur, Raxaul, Shalimar and Hazrat Nizamuddin.

South Eastern Railway will operate 28 services with 107 trips from Santragachi, Shalimar, Ranchi and Tatanagar towards Ajmer, Gorakhpur, Katihar, Yelahanka and other destinations.

South East Central Railway will run 10 services with 14 trips from Bilaspur, Durg and Gondia towards Hyderabad, Patna, Hazrat Nizamuddin and Chhapra.

In the west, North Western Railway will operate 14 services (28 trips) from Jaipur, Jodhpur, Ajmer, Bikaner and Hisar to Bandra Terminus, Gorakhpur, Sainagar Shirdi and Valsad.

Northeast and border connectivity

North Eastern Railway will run 12 services with 27 trips linking Lal Kuan, Mau and Barhni with Rajkot, Kolkata, Amritsar and Valsad.

North Frontier Railway will operate 10 services with 29 trips connecting Dibrugarh, Narangi and Agartala with Kolkata, Gorakhpur, Katihar, Amritsar and Jay Nagar, strengthening connectivity between the Northeast and the rest of the country during the festival rush.

North Central Railway will operate 16 services with 46 trips linking Uttar Pradesh with Maharashtra and other destinations, including special runs between Varanasi, Sultanpur, Lucknow and Lokmanya Tilak Terminus.

Passengers have been advised to check train schedules and booking details through official railway enquiry channels.