Northern Railways to run ‘Holi special’ trains

Our Correspondent

Ludhiana, March 6

Almost all trains to Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and other destinations in Eastern and North-Eastern region are running full to capacity and confirmed reservation is unavailable till end of April due to coming festival of ‘Holi’. To cater to rush of commuters heading to their native places, Northern Railways has decided to run ‘Holi special’ trains during third and last week of this month.

Besides, steps were underway to provide additional bogies of sleeper and general class to most existing trains on these routes to enhance the ferrying capacity of trains and cope with spurt in the passenger traffic.

According to railway officials, one Amritsar-Patna-Amritsar AC Superfast Gati Shakti Special train would undertake four trips in each direction. The train No. 04076 would depart from Amritsar at 2.50 pm on March 13, 14, 18 and 19, 2022, and reach Patna at 3.45 pm the next day. From Patna the train No. 04075 would leave at 5.45 pm on March 16, 17, 21, 22, 2022, and arrive at Amritsar at 6 pm the next day. This special train would have stoppage at Ludhiana while running in both directions.

Two more festival special trains would run on Anand Vihar Terminus (AVT) New Delhi – Udhanpur and New Delhi - Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Katra routes.

The train No. 04053 would run from March 10 to 21, 2022, on every Monday and Thursday from AVT at 11 pm to reach Udhampur at 2.15 pm the next day. On return trip, the train No. 04054 would operate from March 11 to 22, 2022, on every Tuesday and Friday leaving Udhampur at 9.40 pm and arrive at the AVT at 11.15 am the next day.

Festival special train No. 04672 would operate on March 13 and 20, 2022, leaving Shri Mata Vaishno Devi at 6.10 pm to arrive at New Delhi at 6.40 am the next day while train No. 04671 would leave New Delhi on March 14 and 21, 2022, at 11.30 pm to reach Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Katra at 12.30 pm the next day.

Both festival special trains AVT-Udhampur and New Delhi-Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Katra would have stoppages at Ludhiana.

Existing trains packed beyond capacity

Railway officials said most trains operating on various routes in Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and other Eastern and North-Eastern states are running to full capacity. In almost all these trains even the waiting list capacity had exhausted. “Confirmed reservation is not available till April end in almost all these trains,” officials stated. A proposal had already been sent to the Northern Railway headquarters in New Delhi to operate more festival special trains and also provide additional bogies in trains bound for different destinations in Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and West Bengal, officials added.

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