New Delhi: Indian Railways operated 1,244 Holi special trains across zones, enabling 14 lakh passengers to travel from the Delhi area in the last five days and easing the festive rush nationwide.
On March 1 alone, 22 Holi special trains departed from major Delhi stations, carrying approximately 3.36 lakh outward passengers. This marked an 18.07 percent rise compared to the corresponding date last year. Northern Railway confirmed that another 22 special trains were scheduled for March 3 after continuous monitoring of crowd levels.
Western Railway facilitated 23,03,445 passengers over three days from February 27 to March 1. Of these, 4,85,296 passengers travelled on March 1. Notably, around 20,000 passengers departed from Udhna station that day. To address heat conditions, officials distributed nearly 3,000 packaged drinking water bottles at the station.
South Central Railway announced 195 Holi special trains from the last week of February through March. Between February 21 and March 2, the zone operated 26 special trains, transporting over 50,000 passengers. Nine trains ran on March 1 and 2 alone, carrying around 15,000 passengers from Secunderabad, Charlapalli and Tirupati to destinations including Raxaul, Nizamuddin, Kollam, Danapur and Bhubaneswar.
Holi special trains backed by crowd control and station upgrades
Railway zones implemented holding areas, help desks, extra ticket counters and catering stalls at major stations such as Anand Vihar Terminal and Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus. Authorities deployed Railway Protection Force personnel at platforms, foot over bridges and entry gates to regulate passenger movement.
In addition, Automatic Ticket Vending Machines and the Rail One App reduced queues at booking counters. Real-time updates through electronic display boards and public announcements helped prevent confusion. Eastern Railway managed heavy rush at Howrah station with dedicated supervision and boarding support.
Across zones, officials established war rooms for real-time monitoring and ensured round-the-clock staff presence. So far, Holi special trains have connected major cities and regional centres, offering confirmed accommodation and reducing congestion on regular services.
Railways stated that the number of special train trips may increase to 1,500 if demand rises further. Authorities said they would continue close monitoring to ensure safe, timely and comfortable travel during the Holi period.
