Indian Railways has implemented major arrangements to handle the massive surge of travelers during the Holi 2026 festival season. Approximately 14 lakh passengers have traveled from the Delhi area alone in the last five days to celebrate with their families. To ensure everyone reaches home safely between the peak travel dates of February 25 and March 18, the railways are operating a total of 1,244 special train trips across the country.
Which stations have new rules for platform tickets?
To control overcrowding and ensure safety, Northern Railway has temporarily suspended the sale of platform tickets at five major stations in the capital. This restriction applies to New Delhi, Old Delhi, Hazrat Nizamuddin, Anand Vihar Terminal, and Delhi Sarai Rohilla until March 3, 2026. This measure is taken to restrict entry strictly to confirmed passengers during peak hours.
However, officials have kept exemptions for specific cases. Persons assisting senior citizens, differently-abled passengers, sick individuals, and women traveling alone can still access the platforms. Additionally, departure platforms for major trains like Rajdhani, Shatabdi, and Duronto have been temporarily altered at New Delhi station to manage the crowd flow more effectively.
How is the rush being managed with special trains?
To accommodate the heavy demand, Northern Railway is running over 700 special train services from February 21 through March 7. On March 3 specifically, 22 special trains were scheduled from Delhi-area stations to help last-minute travelers find seats. The officials noted a significant 18.07% increase in passengers on March 1 compared to the same period last year.
For better crowd management, holding areas with catering stalls and help desks have been set up outside stations like New Delhi and Anand Vihar. The Railway Protection Force (RPF) is also briefing passengers 30 minutes before departure to ensure orderly boarding using zigzag queuing barriers.