Indian Railways has announced a massive plan to manage the heavy rush of passengers during the Holi festival in March 2026. Millions of expats from Delhi, Faridabad, and NCR are preparing to travel back to their hometowns in Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, and Jharkhand. With the festival falling on March 4, the peak crowd is expected between February 28 and March 2. To accommodate this demand, the railway department is operating a record number of special services starting from mid-February until the end of March.
What is the current status of train bookings and special services for Holi 2026?
The national carrier is running approximately 1,500 Holi special trains this year, which is a 23 percent increase compared to the previous year. Northern Railway alone has scheduled over 300 special trips from major hubs like New Delhi, Anand Vihar, and Nizamuddin to relief the pressure on regular routes. Despite these measures, popular trains like Bihar Sampark Kranti and Vaishali Express are already showing a waiting list of 150 to 200 in both Sleeper and Third AC classes. Many routes have already reached the ‘Regret’ status for the peak dates of late February and early March.
| Service Detail | Statistics/Information |
|---|---|
| Total Holi Special Trains | 1,410 to 1,500 trains |
| Peak Travel Dates | February 28 to March 2, 2026 |
| East Central Railway (ECR) Specials | 285 Trains |
| Waiting List Peak | 150 to 200 (Sleeper/3AC) |
| Private Bus Fares (Sleeper) | Above Rs 5,000 |
| Special Train Surcharge | 1.3 times the normal fare |
How are authorities tackling illegal ticket sales and rising travel costs?
Due to the shortage of confirmed tickets, illegal agents have become active at Faridabad and Ballabhgarh railway stations. These touts are reportedly selling tickets at double the actual price. To counter this, the Railway Protection Force has launched Operation Upalabdh to catch those violating Section 143 of the Railways Act. Passengers who fail to get a train ticket are turning to private buses, where fares from Delhi to Patna have reached between Rs 2,200 for non-AC and over Rs 5,000 for sleeper seats. Northern Railway has also placed medical teams and emergency wards on standby at major stations to handle the heavy crowd safely.
- Railway officials suggest using the Vikalp option while booking to find seats in alternative trains.
- E-tickets that remain waitlisted after chart preparation are not valid for travel.
- Only passengers with physical counter tickets are permitted to travel in general or sleeper coaches if they remain waitlisted.
- Northern Railway has started special services for Lucknow, Varanasi, Barauni, and Katra.
