Indian Railways Announces Special Trains for Holi and New Tech Policy
Special Trains for Holi Festivities
If you're planning to travel home for Holi, there's good news for you. The Indian Railways has decided to operate a significant number of special trains during the festival to accommodate the expected surge in passengers, ensuring confirmed seats and a comfortable journey.
Opportunities for Startups in Rail Technology
For those running startups interested in collaborating with the railways on innovative technologies, a new opportunity has emerged. Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw has unveiled a new rail tech policy aimed at integrating innovations and technical solutions directly with the railway system.
Transformative Changes in Indian Railways
The Indian Railways is currently undergoing significant transformations. Minister Vaishnaw has initiated the new rail tech policy alongside a digital framework for railway claims tribunals, steering reforms in a new direction. This initiative aligns with Prime Minister Narendra Modi's vision for reforms. The primary goal of the new rail tech policy is to promote new technologies and ideas within the railway sector. Startups, industries, and educational institutions will now be able to submit their proposals directly to the railways through a newly launched rail tech portal, allowing for streamlined submissions in one step. Funding for prototype development and testing has been doubled, while grants for scaling up have increased more than threefold.
Digital Integration of Railway Claims Tribunal
Additionally, plans are underway to digitally connect 23 benches of the railway claims tribunal. Passengers will now be able to file cases online from anywhere in the country, making the hearing process faster, more transparent, and user-friendly. The minister has also proposed implementing 52 reforms over 52 weeks by 2026, which will include expanding tracks and infrastructure, improving maintenance, enhancing network capacity, training staff, and upgrading catering services. The aim is to reduce the number of rail accidents to single digits.
Extensive Preparations for Holi
In light of the Holi festival, the railways have made extensive preparations. From February 25 to March 18, 2026, a total of 1,244 special Holi trains will be operational, with the possibility of increasing this number to 1,500 if necessary. These special trains will provide additional seating between major cities such as Mumbai, Pune, Nagpur, Patna, Darbhanga, Gorakhpur, Varanasi, Lucknow, Amritsar, Kolkata, Chennai, Bengaluru, and Delhi. The East Central Railway will operate the highest number of special trips at 275, while the Northern Railway will run 204. Special services will also be provided by other zones including Western, Southern, South Eastern, and North Eastern Railways. The Ministry of Railways states that these special trains will alleviate pressure on regular services and enhance passenger convenience.
A Dual Approach to Modernization and Passenger Needs
The Indian Railways is actively working on two fronts. On one hand, it is modernizing its systems through technological and administrative reforms, while on the other, it is addressing passenger needs during festive seasons by running additional trains. This clearly indicates that the railways are advancing with a focus on safety, convenience, and continuous improvement.
View the List of Special Trains
You can also view the list of trains that are being operated specifically for this occasion.