In anticipation of increased travel demand during the upcoming Holi Festival, the East Coast Railway (ECoR) has announced the operation of special trains on key routes. These special services are intended to relieve the strain caused by increased passenger traffic on regular trains.
The ECoR announced plans to introduce five pairs of Holi Special Trains destined for Pune, Patna, and Nizamuddin. In addition, several existing special train services that run via ECoR’s jurisdiction will operate longer hours during the holidays.
Among the special train services announced are:
1. Sambalpur-Pune-Sambalpur Holi Special:
- Departure from Sambalpur at 22:00 hrs every Sunday between March 17th and March 31st, 2024.
- Stops at 21 stations en route, including Bargarh Road, Balangir, Titilagarh, and Raipur.
- Composition includes AC-2 Tier, AC-3 Tier, Sleeper Class, Second Class Seating, and Guard cum Luggage Vans.
2. Puri-Patna-Puri Holi Special:
- Departure from Puri at 16:45 hrs every Monday between March 18th and March 25th, 2024.
- Stops at 18 stations en route, including Khurda Road, Bhubaneswar, Cuttack, and Balasore.
- Composition includes AC-2 Tier, AC-3 Tier, Sleeper Class, Second Class Seating, and Guard cum Luggage Vans.
3. Puri-Nizamuddin-Puri Holi Special via Sambalpur City:
- Departure from Puri at 04:50hrs every Friday between March 22nd and March 29th, 2024.
- Stops at 18 stations en route, including Khurda Road, Bhubaneswar, Sambalpur City, and Gwalior.
- Composition includes AC-2 Tier, AC-3 Tier, Sleeper Class, Second Class Seating, and Guard cum Luggage Vans.
4. Visakhapatnam-Nizamuddin-Visakhapatnam Holi Special:
- Departure from Visakhapatnam at 08:20 hrs every Saturday between March 23rd and March 30th, 2024.
- Stops at 19 stations en route, including Vizianagaram, Rayagada, Raipur, and Gwalior.
- Composition includes AC-2 Tier, AC-3 Tier Economy, Second Class Seating, and Guard cum Generator Car.
5. Visakhapatnam-Patna-Visakhapatnam Holi Special:
- Departure from Visakhapatnam at 09:25 hrs every Wednesday between March 20th and March 27th, 2024.
- Stops at 24 stations en route, including Vizianagaram, Srikakulam, Brahmapur, Bhubaneswar, and Adra.
- Composition includes AC-2 Tier, AC-3 Tier Economy, Second Class Seating, and Guard cum Generator Car.
If passengers encounter long queues for regular train tickets during the festival season, they have the option to book tickets for special trains operated by the East Coast Railway. These special train services are identified by numbers beginning with ‘0’ or ‘8’. To accommodate the increased demand, extra services have been introduced, including additional coaches in regular trains. Passengers can conveniently book tickets through the IRCTC website or mobile app. Alternatively, tickets can also be purchased from Passenger Reservation System (PRS) counters, as stated by the East Coast Railway.
The above special train services are designed to facilitate convenient travel experiences for passengers during the festive season, ensuring smoother journeys to their desired destinations.