Bhubaneswar: To accommodate the increased demand for train travel during Holi, East Coast Railway (ECoR) has announced special train services connecting major destinations such as Hyderabad, Kolkata, and Bengaluru. Additionally, the services of several existing special trains have been extended to ease passenger congestion during the festive period.
With Holi celebrations leading to high ticket bookings, regular trains have been experiencing long waiting lists. To address this, Indian Railways is actively monitoring passenger demand and running special trains on busy routes, while also adding extra coaches to regular services.
Special Trains for Holi Festival
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Bhubaneswar – Cherlapalli (Hyderabad) Holi Special
- Train No: 08479/08480
- Departure from Bhubaneswar: 12:10 PM every Monday (March 10 – March 24, 2025)
- Departure from Cherlapalli: 9:50 AM every Tuesday (March 11 – March 25, 2025)
-
Puri-Kolkata Holi Special
- Train No: 03101/03102
- Departure from Kolkata: 11:50 PM on March 13, 18, and 20, 2025
- Departure from Puri: 3:30 PM on March 14, 19, and 21, 2025
-
Visakhapatnam – SMVT Bengaluru Holi Special
- Train No: 08549/08550
- Departure from Visakhapatnam: 3:30 PM every Sunday (March 9 – March 23, 2025)
- Departure from Bengaluru: 3:50 PM every Monday (March 10 – March 24, 2025)
Extended Services of Special Trains
To further manage the Holi rush, several special trains that were already running have been extended:
- Udhna (Surat) – Khurda Road Special (09059/09060): Extended until the last week of April 2025.
- Santragachhi-Puri Weekly Special (02837/02838): Extended until June 2025.
- Shalimar-Puri Weekly Special (02839/02840): Extended until June 2025.
- Bhanjapur (Baripada)-Puri Bi-Weekly Special (08011/08012): Extended until June 2025.
- Bhubaneswar-Yesvantpur Weekly Special (02811/02812): Extended until April 2025.
- Sambalpur-Erode Weekly Special (08311/08312): Extended until April 2025.
- Visakhapatnam-Shalimar Weekly Special (08508/08507): Extended until April 2025.
- Bhubaneswar-Dhanbad Daily Special (02832/02831): Extended until April 2025.
- Visakhapatnam-Tirupati Weekly Special (08583/08584): Extended until April 2025.
Booking Information
Passengers struggling with waitlisted tickets in regular trains can check special train availability through:
- National Train Enquiry System (NTES)
- IRCTC website or mobile app
- PRS ticket counters at railway stations
For quick identification, special train numbers start with “0” or “8”. ECoR has also provided updates on its official social media handles, including @EASTCOASTRailway on Facebook and @EastCoastRail on Twitter.
With additional berths created through these special train services, passengers are encouraged to book their tickets early to ensure a hassle-free journey during the Holi festival.
