BHUBANESWAR: In a bid to facilitate smooth and comfortable travel during the Holi festival, East Coast Railway (ECoR) has announced 132 Holi special trains will operate from its jurisdiction.
Railway sources said, apart from the 132 special trains, 150 more Holi special trains originating from various parts of the country will also pass through ECoR jurisdiction, enhancing travel capacity during the festive rush.
Every year, passenger movement increases substantially during Holi as people travel to celebrate with their families. Keeping this in view, the special trains will operate from the last week of February till the end of March on several high demand routes.
Major originating special train routes from ECoR are Bhubaneswar-Yesvantpur, Bhubaneswar-Dhanbad, Sambalpur-Erode and Puri-Patna. From Visakhapatnam, special trains are being operated towards Tirupati, Shalimar, Cherlapalli and SMVT Bengaluru.
Routes such as Bhubaneswar-Yesvantpur, Visakhapatnam-Tirupati, Visakhapatnam-Shalimar, Visakhapatnam-SMVT Bengaluru, Bhubaneswar-Dhanbad and Puri-Patna are witnessing heavy demand during the festival period.
“Arrangements have been made at major stations under ECoR jurisdiction to effectively manage the festive rush. Dedicated holding areas have been earmarked at important stations such as Bhubaneswar, Puri, Sambalpur, Berhampur and Visakhapatnam to regulate passenger flow,” sources said.
Additional railway protection force (RPF) personnel and commercial staff have been deployed at key stations to guide passengers and maintain discipline. Quick response teams have been kept ready to address any operational exigencies.
Passengers have been advised to check detailed schedules, timings, stoppages and seat availability through official railway enquiry systems and the website of IRCTC before planning their journey.