Indian Railways has launched a massive, nationwide operation to ensure smooth travel for millions of passengers returning home for Holi, operating hundreds of special trains and intensifying crowd management measures across key stations.
With coordinated planning across multiple railway zones, the national transporter has focused on safe, comfortable and timely journeys during one of the busiest travel seasons of the year.
Northern Railway Sees 14 Lakh Passengers from Delhi
In the Northern Railway zone alone, nearly 14 lakh passengers travelled from the Delhi area over the past five days. On March 1, around 3.36 lakh outward passengers departed from Delhi — marking an 18% rise compared to the corresponding pre-Holi period last year.
To manage the surge:
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22 special trains were operated from major Delhi stations on March 1.
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Another 22 special services are scheduled for March 3.
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Continuous monitoring is underway at key stations to prevent overcrowding.
At Anand Vihar Terminal, extensive arrangements were made, including designated holding areas, help desks, catering stalls and additional ticket counters to streamline passenger flow. Travellers also shared positive feedback on social media regarding the festive arrangements.
South Central Railway Operates 195 Special Trains
South Central Railway (SCR) announced 195 special trains from the last week of February through March.
Between February 21 and March 2:
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26 special trains operated from Secunderabad, Charlapalli and Tirupati.
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Services connected destinations such as Raxaul, Nizamuddin, Kollam, Danapur and Bhubaneswar.
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Over 50,000 passengers were transported.
On March 1 and 2 alone, nine special trains carried around 15,000 passengers. Enhanced announcements, electronic display boards, deployment of Railway Protection Force personnel and promotion of ticketing via ATVMs and the Rail One App helped manage the rush effectively.
Western Railway, Central Railway Step Up Efforts
Western Railway recorded over 23 lakh passengers over three days, with 4.85 lakh travelling on March 1. At Udhna station, nearly 20,000 passengers departed that day. To combat heat and heavy crowds, Western Railway distributed nearly 3,000 bottles of packaged drinking water — a move widely appreciated by commuters.
Central Railway implemented systematic queue management and enhanced security at Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus to ensure safe boarding and de-boarding.
Nationwide Measures in Place
Other zones including North Western Railway, Eastern Railway and East Central Railway strengthened surveillance, introduced additional services and augmented train capacity 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 increase to 1,500 if demand rises further.
These special trains are connecting major cities, state capitals and regional hubs, benefiting working professionals, students, daily wage earners and families travelling for the festival.
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 stated 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.
