Indian Railways has announced a major relief for passengers traveling to and from Bihar during the upcoming Holi festival. To manage the heavy rush of passengers, the railways have decided to run the Panvel–Alipurduar Amrit Bharat Express as a regular service starting later this month. Additionally, a new Holi Special AC Superfast train has been introduced between Sheikhpura and Anand Vihar Terminal in Delhi. These updates were confirmed by Saraswati Chandra, the Chief Public Relations Officer (CPRO) of East Central Railway.
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Panvel–Alipurduar Amrit Bharat Express Schedule and Route
The Panvel–Alipurduar Amrit Bharat Express will provide direct connectivity between Western India and North Bihar. This train will now run regularly starting from February 23, 2026. This service is expected to help thousands of migrant workers and families traveling home for the festival.
- Train Number 11031 (Panvel to Alipurduar): It will depart from Panvel every Monday at 11:50 AM and reach Alipurduar on the third day at 1:50 PM.
- Train Number 11032 (Alipurduar to Panvel): It will leave Alipurduar every Thursday at 04:45 AM and arrive in Panvel on the third day at 05:30 AM.
- Key Stops in Bihar: The train will stop at Pandit Deen Dayal Upadhyay (DDU), Patliputra, Hajipur, Muzaffarpur, Samastipur, Khagaria, Mansi, and Katihar.
- Fare and Coaches: This is a premium non-AC train with Sleeper and General coaches. The fare is very affordable, roughly ₹500 for 1000 km in sleeper class, with no dynamic pricing.
Sheikhpura–Anand Vihar Holi Special AC Train Details
For passengers from the Magadh and Nalanda regions, the railways have launched a special fully air-conditioned train. The Sheikhpura–Anand Vihar Holi Special (Train No. 04070/04069) will run from February 20 to March 6, 2026.
This train will operate twice a week on Tuesday and Friday. It departs from Sheikhpura at 10:30 PM and reaches Anand Vihar the next day at 07:00 PM. On the return journey, it leaves Anand Vihar at 12:20 AM (midnight) and reaches Sheikhpura at 08:30 PM. The train will follow the new rail line route via Barbigha, Bihar Sharif, Bakhtiyarpur, Patna, Danapur, Ara, Buxar, and Prayagraj to reach Delhi.
Passengers are advised to check ticket availability on the IRCTC website or the NTES app, as booking for these trains has already started and seats are filling up fast due to the festival demand.
