As Holi festivities approach on March 13 and 14, the Indian Railways has announced special trains to accommodate the increased passenger demand. The Western Railway administration has decided to operate three pairs of special trains connecting Jodhpur and Bhagat Ki Kothi to Bandra Terminus, Haridwar, and Gorakhpur. These trains will run on selected dates in March to ensure smooth travel during the festive season.
According to Captain Shashi Kiran, Chief Public Relations Officer of North Western Railway, the Jodhpur-Bandra Terminus Superfast Special will operate between March 10 and March 25 for three trips. The train will depart from Jodhpur every Monday at 5:00 PM and reach Bandra Terminus by 9:30 AM the following day. The return service, Bandra Terminus-Jodhpur Superfast Special, will run from March 11 to March 25 every Tuesday, departing at 11:15 AM from Bandra Terminus and arriving in Jodhpur at 4:00 AM the next day. The train will halt at Luni, Pali Marwar, Marwar, Rani, Falna, Jawai Bandh, Pindwara, Abu Road, Palanpur, Mehsana, Sabarmati, Vadodara, Bharuch, Udhna, Vapi, and Borivali. It will consist of 16 third AC coaches, two second sleeper coaches, two power cars, and one pantry car, making a total of 21 coaches.
Additionally, a Bhagat Ki Kothi-Bandra Terminus Special Train will operate between March 8 and March 29, making four trips. Departing from Bhagat Ki Kothi every Saturday at 11:30 AM, the train will reach Bandra Terminus at 7:25 AM the next day. The return journey will run from March 9 to March 30, leaving Bandra Terminus every Sunday at 10:30 AM and reaching Bhagat Ki Kothi at 4:30 AM on Monday. The train will stop at key stations, including Luni, Pali Marwar, Marwar, Rani, Falna, Jawai Bandh, Pindwara, Abu Road, Palanpur, Mehsana, Sabarmati, Vadodara, Bharuch, Udhna, Vapi, and Borivali. This train will have one second AC, six third AC, two third AC economy, seven second sleeper, four general class coaches, and two power cars, totaling 22 coaches.
For passengers traveling to northern India, the Bhagat Ki Kothi-Haridwar Special will run from March 10 to March 31, departing every Monday at 8:30 AM and reaching Haridwar by 4:15 AM the next day. The return train will operate from March 11 to April 1, leaving Haridwar every Tuesday at 5:15 AM and arriving at Bhagat Ki Kothi by 11:55 PM. The train will halt at Jodhpur, Gotan, Merta Road, Degana, Choti Khatu, Didwana, Ladnun, Sujangarh, Ratangarh, Churu, Sadulpur, Hisar, Jakhal, Sunam Udham Singh Wala, Dhuri, Patiala, Rajpura, Ambala, Saharanpur, and Roorkee. It will consist of two second AC coaches, four third AC coaches, six second sleeper coaches, four general class coaches, and two guard coaches, totaling 18 coaches.
Another special service, the Jodhpur-Gorakhpur Weekly Special, will run from March 6 to March 27, with departures from Jodhpur every Thursday at 4:15 PM and arrival in Gorakhpur by 8:50 PM the next day. The return service will operate between March 7 and March 28, with the train leaving Gorakhpur every Friday at 11:25 PM and reaching Jodhpur at 3:00 AM on Sunday. The train will pass through Merta Road, Degana, Choti Khatu, Didwana, Ladnun, Sujangarh, Ratangarh, Churu, Sadulpur, Loharu, Mahendragarh, Rewari, Gurugram, Delhi Cantt, Delhi, Ghaziabad, Moradabad, Bareilly, Lucknow, Ayodhya Cantt, Ayodhya Dham, Mankapur, Basti, and Khalilabad.
With these additional train services, Indian Railways aims to facilitate smooth and comfortable travel for passengers heading home for Holi celebrations. Passengers are advised to book their tickets in advance to avoid last-minute inconvenience.
