Holi 2026: 500 extra trains from New Delhi, Old Delhi and Anand Vihar to Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand. Check details

The Northern Railways has announced a number of special train from the national capital's key stations, New Delhi, Old Delhi and Anand Vihar Terminal, connecting the city to major destinations across Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand, Uttarakhand, Maharashtra to manage the Holi rush. The Northern Railways is running around 500 additional train trips and crowd-control measures have been stepped up across stations, especially at the New Delhi Railway Station, ahead of the festival on March 4. Special train services began on February 20 and will operate until the end of March to accommodate the surge of migrant workers and students travelling home for Holi, reports TOI's Abhinav Rajput

Trains from Delhi to Barauni, Lucknow for Holi rush

Trains departing from New Delhi will connect key destinations including Barauni, Gorakhpur, Lucknow, Varanasi, Khurda Road and Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Katra. Services to Barauni, Gorakhpur and Lucknow are expected to benefit passengers travelling towards eastern Uttar Pradesh and north Bihar.

Between February 22 and March 6, special trains will run between Varanasi and New Delhi, while additional services between Hazrat Nizamuddin and Pune will operate from February 28 to March 6. The New Delhi–Howrah special will be available from February 25 to March 3. Officials noted that Old Delhi railway station, due to its strong connectivity to Purvanchal and Bihar-bound routes, is likely to handle a substantial share of outbound travellers.


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Anand Vihar Terminal, which primarily serves east and central India, will operate the highest number of special services, connecting destinations such as Danapur, Muzaffarpur, Jaynagar, Sitamarhi, Khurda Road and Gorakhpur. Chief Public Relations Officer Himanshu Shekhar Upadhyay said the move aims to ease congestion on regular trains, many of which had long waiting lists weeks ahead of Holi. “The special trains were planned after analysing booking patterns and projected passenger demand. Passengers are advised to book tickets only through authorised channels,” an official said.

A high-frequency special service between Anand Vihar and Laukaha Bazar will operate more than two dozen trips, while weekly specials are scheduled for Danapur and Muzaffarpur. Additional trains linking Delhi with Haridwar, Katihar and Ranchi will either originate from or pass through the capital.