New Delhi: Holi travel traditionally witnesses one of the heaviest passenger rushes on Indian Railways, especially across northern and central routes. Anticipating this surge for Holi 2026, North Central Railway has prepared an extensive operational plan to ensure smoother movement during the festive window. A total of 204 Holi special train trips have been notified across the NCR network. These services aim to improve connectivity between major cities while easing congestion on regular trains during peak holiday travel period across key corridors.

Among these, five pairs of special trains will originate directly from the NCR zone, operating on high-demand long-distance routes. Services are scheduled between February 15 and March 31, covering the entire Holi travel season. The railway has also indicated that additional trains may be introduced if passenger demand rises closer to the festival period across multiple busy rail corridors nationwide.

Out of the 204 notified Holi special train trips, North Central Railway will directly operate five pairs of special trains, accounting for 36 trips. These services will originate from key stations within the NCR zone to handle the seasonal spike in passenger movement during Holi.

The five pairs of special trains announced by North Central Railway include:

• 04101 /04102 Prayagraj – Lokmanya Tilak Terminus
• 04121 /04122 Subedarganj – Charlapalli
• 01922 /01921 VGL Jhansi – Pune
• 01924 /01923 VGL Jhansi – Hadapsar
• 04151 /04152 Kanpur Central – Lokmanya Tilak Terminus

These routes have been selected based on historically high demand, particularly for travel towards western and southern regions during Holi.

The 204 Holi special train trips will pass through several key stations under the NCR network, including Agra, Kanpur, Prayagraj, Jhansi, and other major junctions, benefiting passengers across multiple regions.

Bookings for Holi special trains will open shortly on IRCTC. Tickets can be booked through the IRCTC website, IRCTC mobile application, and NTES app for live train tracking. Passengers are advised to plan early, as festival special trains typically record high occupancy.

At the national level, Indian Railways plans to operate over 1,410 Holi special trains during the 2026 festive season, with the number expected to rise to nearly 1,500 services. This marks a significant increase compared to Holi 2025, when 1,144 special train trips were operated across the network. Multiple railway zones, including East Central, Western, and Central Railways, will deploy additional services.

With 204 special trips planned across the NCR network, North Central Railway aims to ensure smoother Holi travel in 2026. The expanded services reflect Indian Railways’ broader effort to manage festive rush while improving passenger convenience across key corridors.