Ahmedabad: Western Railway has geared up comprehensively to handle the anticipated surge in passenger traffic during the forthcoming Holi festival. To cater to the increased travel demand, 231 services of Holiday Special Trains have been notified so far, and they will be operated to various destinations across the country, with special emphasis on the North and Eastern parts of India, including states such as Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and Rajasthan, during the period from March 1 to March 22, 2026.

These special services have been planned to provide additional travel options for passengers and to ensure a comfortable and convenient journey during the festive period.

According to a press release issued by the Chief Public Relations Officer of Western Railway, Vineet Abhishek, WR stands fully prepared to manage the Holi festival rush with a combination of additional train services and comprehensive on-ground passenger facilitation measures. Continuous monitoring of booking patterns and passenger flow is being undertaken, and augmentation of coaches in regular trains is being carried out wherever feasible. Additional special services will also be considered based on emerging demand, and many more will be notified in the coming days. Wide publicity of special trains and passenger facilities is being ensured through various media platforms so that passengers can plan their journeys accordingly.

Vineet further stated that, anticipating heavy passenger footfall at major stations, extensive and scalable crowd management arrangements are already in place across key terminals and originating stations on Western Railway. Dedicated passenger holding areas are available at major stations including Mumbai Central, Bandra Terminus, Udhna, Surat, Ahmedabad and other important locations to regulate passenger entry and boarding in a safe and orderly manner. These holding areas are equipped with essential amenities such as seating arrangements, drinking water facilities, toilet blocks, adequate lighting, fans and public announcement systems to ensure passenger convenience while waiting for their trains.

In addition, enhanced deployment of RPF, GRP and commercial staff has been planned at major stations for queue regulation, passenger guidance and security. CCTV surveillance is being closely monitored round the clock, and senior railway officials will be stationed at sensitive stations to supervise operations and ensure real-time response wherever required. Extra booking counters, mobile ticketing arrangements and intensified announcements will be made available to streamline passenger movement and avoid congestion.

The operation of these Holiday Special Train services, coupled with station-level preparedness and coordinated crowd management strategies, reflects Western Railway’s readiness to ensure safe, orderly and comfortable travel for passengers during the Holi festival, the press release said.