Indian Railways continued its comprehensive festive preparedness on 2 and 3 March 2026 to ensure safe, smooth, timely and comfortable travel for passengers during the ongoing Holi rush across the country, deploying special trains, structured crowd management systems and enhanced on ground vigilance across major railway zones.
With lakhs of homebound passengers thronging stations, special trains are being operated across multiple zones to ease congestion on regular services. Systematic queue management, phased boarding and effective crowd regulation measures have been implemented at key stations. Railway personnel, including Railway Protection Force teams and Rail Karmayogis, are maintaining continuous supervision of passenger movement, assisting elderly, divyang and women passengers, and providing guidance throughout the journey. Civil Defence volunteers have also been deployed at busy stations to reinforce crowd control and passenger support.
North Western Railway undertook extensive and coordinated arrangements to manage the heavy festive rush. A total of 295 trips of newly introduced special trains were notified for destinations including Gorakhpur, Samastipur, Yog Nagari Rishikesh, Amritsar, Mysuru, Kakinada, Gomti Nagar, Bhavnagar Terminus, Howrah, Tirupati, Mau, Sabarmati, Danapur, Asansol, Chennai Egmore, Vadodara and Kolkata. In the week preceding Holi, 54 special train trips were operated towards major destinations such as Gorakhpur, Mysuru, Kakinada, Bhavnagar Terminus, Howrah, Tirupati, Danapur, Kolkata, Sabarmati and Asarva.
More than 5.5 million passengers travelled from stations under North Western Railway during this period. Notably, around 1.1 million passengers undertook journeys on 1 and 2 March alone, during which 21 trips of new special trains were operated. The operational period of 30 special trains comprising 216 trips was extended, and 141 additional coaches of various categories were augmented in 53 regular trains to meet increased demand in March.
At major stations, holding areas and barricades were established to streamline passenger entry. Adequate deployment of Railway Protection Force personnel and ticket checking staff ensured security and order. Help desks, continuous announcements and electronic display boards facilitated timely dissemination of information. Awareness campaigns encouraged passengers to use Automatic Ticket Vending Machines and the RailOne App. Senior officers at headquarters and divisional levels supervised operations, while 24 by 7 war rooms monitored passenger movement and train operations in real time.
Central Railway implemented systematic queue arrangements and effective crowd management for Train No. 12173 Lokmanya Tilak Terminus Udyog Nagri Express at Lokmanya Tilak Terminus, ensuring safe and orderly boarding. Railway Protection Force teams maintained close supervision of on ground arrangements, regulating passenger flow and maintaining adherence to safety standards. Effective crowd regulation measures were maintained throughout the Holi period at Lokmanya Tilak Terminus, with passengers appreciating clean coaches and passenger amenities.
North Central Railway personnel remained vigilant at Mathura Junction, Kanpur Central and Prayagraj Junction railway stations. Special monitoring and coordinated efforts ensured orderly boarding of passengers on the 20403 Lalgarh Express at Prayagraj Junction. Passengers travelling by special trains from Delhi to Prayagraj and from Agra to Dholpur expressed satisfaction with ticketing facilities, including counters and Automatic Ticket Vending Machines, describing the process as simple and convenient.
Northern Railway facilitated smooth travel at New Delhi railway station through the operation of special trains such as Train No. 04420 New Delhi Darbhanga Holi Special. Passengers travelling by the Sampoorna Kranti Express acknowledged the dedicated service of Rail Karmayogis. At Anand Vihar Terminal, holding areas with essential amenities were established and passengers were sent to platforms in a phased manner to avoid congestion. Railway personnel maintained active supervision at Ghaziabad Junction.
To strengthen crowd management, approximately 55 to 60 Civil Defence volunteers have been deployed from 26 February to 4 March 2026 at Delhi Junction, New Delhi and Anand Vihar Terminal stations to assist passengers within station premises and on platforms.
North Eastern Railway ensured dedicated arrangements at Gorakhpur Junction railway station. A student of B R D Medical College, Gorakhpur travelling by a Holi Special train expressed satisfaction with the arrangements and smooth travel experience.
South East Central Railway personnel made continuous announcements during the operation of Holi Special trains, assisting passengers in maintaining orderly queues during boarding and deboarding. Passengers at Raipur Junction and Bilaspur Junction conveyed gratitude for securing confirmed berths in Holi Special trains, enabling comfortable journeys despite the festive rush.
Through coordinated inter departmental efforts, operation of special trains, enhanced vigilance and passenger centric facilitation measures, Indian Railways has ensured that Holi travel remains safe, orderly and comfortable across major stations and routes. The Railways reiterated its commitment to maintaining high standards of safety, service and operational efficiency during peak festive travel periods.
