New Delhi: In view of the heavy passenger rush during the upcoming Holi festival, the Indian Railways has announced a comprehensive plan to operate multiple special trains across key routes. The Northern Railway has released a detailed schedule for 18 pairs of Holi Special trains to facilitate smooth travel for passengers heading to Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Delhi, Rajasthan, Gujarat and other regions.

The special services will operate between late February and March 2026, covering high-demand routes connecting major junctions including New Delhi, Varanasi, Lucknow, Gorakhpur, Dhanbad, Ahmedabad, Surat, Shri Ganganagar, Jogbani, Anand Vihar, and others.

Key Special Trains Announced

• Udaipur City – Yog Nagari Rishikesh – Udaipur City Special (09609/09610)
  Operating with 10 trips, the train will depart from Udaipur City at 10:15 hrs and reach Yog Nagari Rishikesh at 17:55 hrs. The return service will leave Rishikesh at 13:45 hrs and arrive in Udaipur City at 15:30 hrs.

• Sultanpur – Lokmanya Tilak Terminus (Mumbai) – Sultanpur Special (04212/04211)
  Scheduled for four trips, this train will connect eastern Uttar Pradesh with Mumbai’s LTT, addressing heavy migrant travel demand.

• Ghazipur City – Anand Vihar Terminal – Ghazipur City Special (04226/04225)
  Four trips are planned to ease passenger congestion between eastern UP and Delhi.

• Malda Town – Anand Vihar Terminal – Malda Town Special (03435/03436)
  Six trips will operate between West Bengal and Delhi, catering to high festive footfall.

• Banaras – Anand Vihar Terminal – Banaras Special (03257/03258)
  Two trips are scheduled to connect Varanasi region with the National Capital Region.

• Raxaul – Lucknow – Raxaul Special (05559/05560)
  Two weekly trips will serve passengers from the Bihar-Nepal border region.

• Dhanbad – Delhi – Dhanbad Special (03309/03310)
  Eight trips will run between Jharkhand and Delhi to manage festival rush.

• Dhanbad – Gorakhpur – Dhanbad Special (03677/03678)
  Two trips connecting Jharkhand and eastern Uttar Pradesh.

• Gandhidham – Patna – Gandhidham Special (09451/09452)
  Eight trips will strengthen connectivity between Gujarat and Bihar.

• Surat – Chhapra – Surat Special (09065/09066)
  Two trips will cater to heavy passenger movement between south Gujarat and eastern UP/Bihar.

• Ahmedabad – Darbhanga – Ahmedabad Special (09465/09466)
  Two trips connecting Gujarat with north Bihar.

• Delhi Sarai Rohilla – Fafund – Delhi Sarai Rohilla Special (04401/04402)
  Six trips will facilitate travel between Delhi and Uttar Pradesh.

• New Delhi – Khurja Road – New Delhi Special (04084)
  A single-trip service has been introduced for short-distance festive travel.

• Shri Ganganagar – Hazrat Nizamuddin – Shri Ganganagar Special (04731/04732)
  Ten trips are scheduled between Rajasthan and Delhi.

• Shri Ganganagar – Gorakhpur – Shri Ganganagar Special (04729/04730)
  Ten trips will connect Rajasthan with eastern Uttar Pradesh.

• Jogbani – Gorakhpur – Jogbani Special (04829/04830)
  Eight trips to cater to Bihar–UP passenger movement.

• Kota – Ambala Cantt – Kota Special (05736/05735)
  Ten trips to enhance connectivity between Rajasthan and Haryana.

• Varanasi – Udhna (Surat) – Varanasi Special (04731/04732 as per revised notification)
  Multiple trips planned to manage heavy seasonal migration traffic.

With the announcement of these 18 pairs of special trains, Northern Railway expects smoother passenger flow during Holi 2026, one of the busiest travel periods of the year.