In anticipation of the Holi festival, Indian Railways has launched nine pairs of special trains across key routes to facilitate smoother travel for passengers. This initiative is a response to the heightened demand for rail services during the festive period, aiming to provide travelers with confirmed reservations and alleviate potential last-minute travel challenges. The announcement, confirmed by Saraswati Chandra, the Chief Public Relations Officer (CPRO) of East Central Railway, indicates that the schedule was developed based on suggestions from various railway divisions.
Detailed Schedule of Holi Special Trains
The newly introduced Holi special trains operate on a variety of routes, ensuring extensive coverage for holiday travelers. The following are the train operations along with their respective schedules:
The Puri-Patna-Puri Special Train operates from Puri every Saturday from February 28 to March 28, departing at 14:55 and arriving in Patna the next day at 10:45. The return journey from Patna departs at 13:30 every Sunday during the same period.
In the Udhna-Hasanpur Road-Udhna Special Train route, services begin from Udhna at 11:25 every Sunday between February 22 and March 29. It arrives at Hasanpur the following day at 20:00, with key stops at DDU at 10:30, Patliputra at 14:15, and Muzaffarpur at 17:10.
The Charlapalli-Raxaul-Charlapalli Special will run on February 23, 28, and March 1, departing from Charlapalli at 22:00 and reaching Raxaul on the third day at 16:50. Other important stops include Dhanbad at 03:50, Barauni at 10:50, and Darbhanga at 13:30.
The Gandhidham-Bhagalpur-Gandhidham Special operates on Fridays from 6 to 27 March with a return service on Mondays from 9 to 30 March, following the same timetable as previous trains. Key stops include Gorakhpur, Narkatiyaganj, Bapudham Motihari, Muzaffarpur, and Barauni.
Furthermore, the Dankuni-Anand Vihar-Dankuni Special will depart from Dankuni at 00:20 on February 28 and March 7, reaching Anand Vihar the next day at 11:00. This service stops at Kiul, Nawada, Gaya, and DDU.
The Malda Town-Anand Vihar-Malda Town Special is set to run on Mondays from March 2, 9, and 16, departing from Malda at 09:30 and arriving at Anand Vihar the next day at 13:40. Another service will later depart from Anand Vihar at 15:35.
Additionally, special services from Sealdah to Gorakhpur and as well as the Asansol-Gorakhpur-Asansol route will operate with similar stop schedules, further enhancing connectivity in these regions.
Advice for Passengers
As the Holi season marks one of the busiest times for rail travel, passengers are encouraged to plan their journeys ahead of time and verify seat availability. The introduction of these special trains seeks to minimize travel stress and enable festival attendees to reach their destinations securely and comfortably.
