Indian Railways Announces Holi Special Trains to Ease Festive Rush

Indian Railways has announced the operation of Holi Special Trains to manage the expected surge in passenger traffic during the festive season, with plans to run 1,500 special services nationwide this year, up from 1,144 services operated last year.

As part of this nationwide initiative, the Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR) has initially planned five pairs of Holi special trains to accommodate increased travel demand in the region. Additional special services are expected to be announced in the coming days based on passenger requirements.

The special trains will operate on the routes Narangi–Gorakhpur–Narangi, Katihar–Amritsar–Katihar, Dibrugarh–Jaynagar–Dibrugarh, New Jalpaiguri–Muzaffarpur–New Jalpaiguri, and Kishanganj–Lalkuan–Kishanganj. Each of these trains will run for six trips in both directions, helping ease congestion on regular services.

Special Train No. 05633 (Narangi–Gorakhpur) is scheduled to run every Thursday from February 19 to March 26, 2026, departing Narangi at 13:20 hrs and reaching Gorakhpur at 13:00 hrs the following day. Its return service, Special Train No. 05634 (Gorakhpur–Narangi), will operate every Friday from February 20 to March 27, 2026, leaving Gorakhpur at 16:55 hrs and arriving at Narangi at 21:40 hrs the next day.

Special Train No. 05736 (Katihar–Amritsar) will run every Wednesday from February 18 to March 25, 2026, departing Katihar at 21:00 hrs and reaching Amritsar at 09:45 hrs on Friday. The return service, Train No. 05735 (Amritsar–Katihar), will operate every Friday from February 20 to March 27, 2026, departing Amritsar at 13:25 hrs and arriving at Katihar at 23:45 hrs the following day.

Special Train No. 05974 (Dibrugarh–Jaynagar) will run every Tuesday from February 17 to March 24, 2026, leaving Dibrugarh at 05:20 hrs and reaching Jaynagar at 13:00 hrs the next day. The return train, No. 05973 (Jaynagar–Dibrugarh), will operate every Wednesday from February 18 to March 25, 2026, departing Jaynagar at 16:00 hrs and arriving at Dibrugarh at 23:30 hrs the following day.

Special Train No. 05740 (New Jalpaiguri–Muzaffarpur) is scheduled to run every Saturday from February 21 to March 28, 2026, departing New Jalpaiguri at 05:00 hrs and reaching Muzaffarpur at 18:00 hrs the same day. Its return service, Train No. 05739 (Muzaffarpur–New Jalpaiguri), will also operate every Saturday during the same period, leaving Muzaffarpur at 22:00 hrs and arriving at New Jalpaiguri at 10:30 hrs the next day.

Special Train No. 05741 (Kishanganj–Lalkuan) will run every Thursday from February 19 to March 26, 2026, departing Kishanganj at 08:30 hrs and reaching Lalkuan at 15:40 hrs the next day. The return service, Train No. 05742 (Lalkuan–Kishanganj), will operate every Friday from February 20 to March 27, 2026, departing Lalkuan at 20:40 hrs and arriving at Kishanganj at 02:00 hrs on Sunday.

According to Indian Railways, the Holi special trains are aimed at ensuring safe, convenient and timely travel for passengers wishing to celebrate the festival with their families. Details regarding stoppages and exact timings are available on the IRCTC website and are being circulated through newspapers and official social media platforms of the Northeast Frontier Railway. Passengers have been advised to verify train details before commencing their journey.