Railways To Run 62 Holi Special Trains From March 1–22 Linking Delhi, UP, Bihar; Check Routes And Schedule

The North Eastern Railway announces 62 Holi special trains from 1 to 22 March 2026 to ease congestion on busy routes. Trains from Gorakhpur, Lucknow, Banaras, Kathgodam and Chhapra will connect to Delhi, Mumbai and Kolkata, with flexible additional trips as needed and new passenger holding areas at Gorakhpur Junction to manage crowd flow.

With Holi falling on 4 March 2026, passenger demand on North Eastern Railway routes is surging. To manage the rush, the zone plans 62 Holi special trains between 1 March and 22 March. These services will operate from key stations such as Gorakhpur, Lucknow, Banaras, Kathgodam and Chhapra towards major cities including Delhi, Mumbai and Kolkata.

Data from reservation charts shows most routine long-distance trains on these routes are already full. Many show no-room status in every class. Waiting lists are long for trains coming from Delhi and Mumbai to Gorakhpur before Holi, and for trains leaving Gorakhpur towards these cities after the festival period.

Holi special trains demand and NER plan

North Eastern Railway officials state that 62 Holi special trains are scheduled initially from 1 March to 22 March. The plan is flexible. If crowd levels rise beyond current projections, the number of trips for these Holi specials will increase. Gorakhpur will see the highest concentration, with about one dozen trains running mainly towards Delhi and Amritsar.

CPRO Pankaj Kumar Singh explains that passengers from Gorakhpur, Lucknow, Banaras, Kathgodam and Chhapra will have extra options. These Holi special trains will link eastern Uttar Pradesh and adjoining Bihar with national hubs like Delhi, Mumbai and Kolkata, along with several other cities. Services from major Bihar stations are also planned to start around the festival window.

Holi special trains and current booking status

Booking records highlight the strain on regular services. From 25 February to 2 March, there is practically no accommodation available for travel into Gorakhpur from Delhi and Mumbai. After the festival, trains from Gorakhpur towards Delhi and Mumbai are showing packed status from 5 March until 15 March, across almost every class.

To control crowds at Gorakhpur Junction, North Eastern Railway will activate a passenger holding area from 25 February. This space is meant to manage queues and reduce platform congestion when festival traffic peaks. The facility aims to streamline boarding for both regular services and Holi special trains during the heavy rush period.

Holi special trains and fully booked services data

Several important trains between Delhi, Mumbai and Gorakhpur are already full in all classes in the pre-Holi window. A similar picture appears in the post-Holi direction. The table below summarises the key trains and booking status periods based on current railway data.

Holi special trains and Azamgarh–Yashvantpur link

Alongside the Holi specials around 4 March, North Eastern Railway is also running a one-time long-distance service. Train number 05009 Azamgarh–Yashvantpur special via Gorakhpur will operate as a single trip on 11 February. CPRO Pankaj Kumar Singh has provided the detailed schedule and coach composition for this special train.

According to the plan, train 05009 will leave Azamgarh on 11 February at 05:05. It will arrive at Gorakhpur railway station at 08:50. After leaving Gorakhpur, the train is scheduled to reach Yashvantpur railway station at 10:30 the next morning. The service will run with a total of 17 coaches.

Overall, the data indicates very strong seasonal demand on North Eastern Railway routes around Holi 2026. The 62 planned Holi special trains, possible extra trips, and crowd-management steps at Gorakhpur Junction are designed to ease pressure on already full regular services connecting Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, eastern Uttar Pradesh and Bihar.