Patna: Indian Railways has announced 26 special trains between Delhi, Kolkata and several destinations in Bihar to ease the annual surge in travel ahead of Holi, one of the country’s busiest festive periods.
The additional services, operated by the East Central Railway zone, comprise 13 pairs of trains running via the Delhi and Kolkata corridors between February 20 and mid-March. Officials said the move is intended to help millions of passengers – including migrant workers, students and professionals – secure confirmed tickets and avoid overcrowding during the festival rush.
Extra services from Delhi
Special trains will operate from Anand Vihar and New Delhi to destinations including Sheikhpura, Barauni, Supaul and Sitamarhi on selected dates from February 20 until the first week of March, with return services scheduled accordingly.
Train 04070 Anand Vihar–Sheikhpura will depart from Anand Vihar on February 20, 24 and 27, and March 3 and 6, with the return 04069 running on the same dates from Sheikhpura.
The 04054 New Delhi–Barauni special will run between February 20 and March 6, while the return 04053 Barauni–New Delhi service will operate from February 22 to March 8.
Similarly, 04060 New Delhi–Supaul will run between February 20 and March 6, with the return 04059 Supaul–New Delhi operating from February 22 to March 8.
The 04010 Delhi–Sitamarhi special will depart on February 26 and March 5, with the 04009 Sitamarhi–Delhi return running on February 27 and March 6.
Other services include the 04014 Anand Vihar–Laukaha Bazar (February 27 and March 6) and its return 04013, as well as the 04066 Anand Vihar–Khordha Road Junction operating between February 27 and March 3, with daily return trips from February 28 to March 4.
Railway officials said further special services could be introduced if demand exceeds current capacity.
Additional trains from Kolkata and Howrah
To accommodate passengers travelling from West Bengal to Bihar, multiple special trains will operate from Howrah, Sealdah and Kolkata stations to destinations including Raxaul and Madhubani.
The 03043 Howrah–Raxaul special will run on February 28, March 7 and March 14, with the 03044 Raxaul–Howrah return operating on March 1, 8 and 15.
The 03045 Howrah–Raxaul will run on March 1 and 2, and the 03046 Raxaul–Howrah on March 2 and 3.
Train 03183 Sealdah–Madhubani will operate on February 28 and March 7, with the return 03184 Madhubani–Sealdah running on March 1 and 8.
Additional services include 03185 Kolkata–Madhubani (February 27), 03186 Madhubani–Laukaha Bazar (February 27 and March 6), and the 03187 Kolkata–Madhubani and 03188 Madhubani–Kolkata services in early March.
Special trains will also connect Durg and Madhubani on March 1 and 2 (08753/08754), while the 03007 Howrah–Khatipura (Jaipur) special will run via Bihar on February 25 and March 11, with return journeys on February 27 and March 13.
Extended frequency of clone express
In addition, the Railways has extended the service of the Humsafar Clone Express (04651/04652) between Jaynagar and Amritsar from March 1 to March 31 to provide extra capacity for long-distance travellers.
The special trains will include sleeper and air-conditioned coaches, with bookings available through the official IRCTC website and mobile application.
Railway authorities said the measures were aimed at easing ticket shortages and managing crowd pressure during the festival. Further trains may be announced if required, they added.
