New Delhi: As the Holi celebrations reach a fever pitch, Indian Railways launched an unprecedented number of special trains across its
zones, serving millions of holidaymakers with improved crowd management and passenger amenities.
In Delhi, Northern Railway operated 22 special trains on March 1, allowing nearly 3.36 lakh passengers to depart — an 18.07 per cent increase from the same day last year.
Over the past five days, approximately 14 lakh travellers have left Delhi stations.
Looking ahead, another 22 special trains are scheduled for March 3, with officials actively monitoring key stations such as Anand Vihar Terminal, where additional holding areas, help desks, catering stalls, and ticket counters have been set up to facilitate smooth travel.
March 1 and 2 alone ferried about 15,000 travellers, supported by extensive RPF deployment and awareness drives promoting ATVMs and the Rail One App.
Western Railway recorded over 23 lakh passengers between February 27 and March 1.
On March 1, nearly 20,000 passengers departed from Udhna station, where around 3,000 water bottles were distributed amid rising temperatures.
At Mumbai’s Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus, Central Railway implemented structured queue systems and crowd control measures.
Similar arrangements were reported by North Western Railway, Eastern Railway at Howrah railway station, and East Central Railway.
Nationwide, 1,244 Holi Special train trips are being operated between February 25 and March 18, with the number likely to rise to 1,500 depending on demand.
Railway officials said coordinated supervision, security deployment and passenger facilities have ensured safe, smooth and timely travel during the festive surge.