Indian Railways has planned the operation of more than 1,410 Holi special train services across the country during March, with the number expected to increase up to 1,500 as per the demand. These special trains are aimed at handling the surge in passenger traffic during the festival and ensuring smoother connectivity between major destinations.
In terms of comparison, the national transporter operated 1,144 special train trips during Holi 2025, indicating a significant hike in services this year, as per PIB.
Zone-wise plan for Holi specials has been announced
Railways has shared the tentative distribution of special trains across zones to meet regional demand.
| Zone | Planned Holi special trains |
|---|---|
| East Central Railway (ECR) | 285 |
| Western Railway (WR) | 231 |
| Central Railway (CR) | 209 |
| South Central Railway (SCR) | 160 |
| Northern Railway (NR) | 108 |
| North Western Railway (NWR) | 71 |
| North Central Railway (NCR) | 66 |
| North Eastern Railway (NER) | 62 |
| East Coast Railway (ECOR) | 62 |
| South Western Railway (SWR) | 47 |
| West Central Railway (WCR) | 43 |
| Southern Railway (SR) | 39 |
| South East Central Railway (SECR) | 15 |
| Konkan Railway (KR) | 9 |
| Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR) | 2 |
Central, Western and South Central Railways outline operations
Central Railway stated that it will run 209 Holi special trains connecting destinations such as Mumbai-Nagpur, Mumbai-Chiplun, and Mumbai-Ratnagiri, among others. The services will include AC specials, mixed rakes with AC, Sleeper and General coaches, and unreserved trains.
Additional ticket counters and passenger-handling measures have also been planned at stations.
Western Railways has notified about 231 special services so far, with special focus on routes towards North and East India, including Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, and Rajasthan, from March 1 to March 22, 2026. The zone stated that it is monitoring reservation trends and may announce more specials if demand increases.
South Central Railways has a plan to operate 160 special trains connecting destinations like Rajkot, Vishakhapatnam, Patna, Solapur, Raxaul, Bilaspur, Hazrat Nizamuddin, Danapur, Malda Town, Chhapra and Lucknow, among others. Return services are also scheduled.
Crowd-Management measures at major stations
Western Railway stated that dedicated passenger holding areas have been set up at major stations, including Mumbai Central, Udhna, Bandra Terminus, Ahmedabad, and Surat. These areas are equipped with seating, toilets, drinking water facilities, fans, lighting and public announcement systems.
Additional deployment of Railway Protection Force (RFP), Government Railway Police (GRP) and commercial staff, extra booking counters, mobile ticketing arrangements, CCTV monitoring have also been planned to manage the queues and ensure smooth boarding during the festive rush.
Northern Railways has also announced Holi special train between Durg-Hazrat Nizamuddin:
Train 08751 (Durg-Hazrat Nizamuddin) March 1 and 2, 2026
Train 08752 (Hazrat Nizamuddin-Durg): March 2 and 3, 2026.
The train composition includes AC, Sleeper and General coaches and multiple stoppages, including Katni, Bilaspur, Raipur, Agra, Jhansi, and Mathura.
Indian Railways said that these special trains are aimed at providing comfortable and hassle-free travel during the Holi festival.