Holi Special Train: Vande Bharat Express train to run from Delhi to Patna; Check schedule and ticket fare

During festivals like Holi, people face a lot of trouble traveling to their hometowns due to crowded trains and limited ticket availability. Every year, thousands of passengers struggle to book seats, making the journey stressful. To solve this problem, Indian Railways has introduced a special Vande Bharat Express from Delhi to Patna for Holi 2025. This train aims to provide a faster, more comfortable, and hassle-free journey for travellers heading home for the festival. With improved facilities and a limited-time schedule, this special service will help ease the holiday rush. Check the schedule and ticket fare details here.

Indian Railways introduces special Vande Bharat and 14 other trains for Holi travel

To help people travel easily during Holi, Indian Railways will run a special Vande Bharat Express between New Delhi and Patna from March 8 to March 21. Along with this, 14 more special trains will operate on routes like Delhi-Bhagalpur, New Delhi-Gaya, and Anand Vihar-Muzaffarpur, making travel smoother for passengers.

The new Vande Bharat Express train starts on March 8 and runs until March 21. It's perfect for people traveling home for the festival. The train route includes stops in Kanpur, Prayagraj, Varanasi, Ballia, Chhapra, and Patliputra Junction.

New Vande Bharat Express: Schedule and routes

Here are the details of the new Vande Bharat Express train:
Ticket bookings started on March 6
The train runs from March 8 to March 21

New Delhi to Patna Schedule:

Train number: 02436
Departure from New Delhi: 08:30 hrs
Arrival at Patna Junction: 22:30 hrs

Patna to New Delhi Schedule:

Train number: 02435
Departure from Patna Junction: 05:30 hrs
Arrival at New Delhi: 20:10 hrs

Halts:

The train will stop at the following stations:
Patliputra
Chhapra Junction
Suraimanpur
Ballia
Ghazipur City
Varanasi
Prayagraj Junction
Kanpur Central
Ghaziabad

New Vande Bharat Express: Routes and Stoppages

The new Vande Bharat Express will run via Prayagraj Rambag, Ballia, and Chhapra Junction. The train will have nine major stoppages, including Ghaziabad, Kanpur Central, Prayagraj Junction, Varanasi, Ghazipur City, Ballia, Suraimanpur, Chhapra Junction, and Patliputra Junction.

New Vande Bharat Express: Ticket Fares

Here are the ticket fares. The train will have two classes of travel:
AC Chair Car: Rs 2,575
Executive Chair Car: Rs 4,655

Indian Railways gears up for festive rush: Special arrangements at Delhi stations

As the festive season approaches, Indian Railways has implemented several measures to manage the expected rush in passengers, especially at major railway stations in Delhi. The Northern Railway has set up mini control rooms at six key stations, New Delhi, Delhi Junction, Hazrat Nizamuddin, Anand Vihar, Ghaziabad, and Panipat, to ensure smooth crowd management.

Important steps for crowd control:

• Dedicated Women’s Counter: A separate ticket booking counter has been set up for women at New Delhi Railway Station.
• Holding Areas: Passengers will be kept in designated holding areas before being allowed onto platforms when their train is ready for departure.
• Clear Signage & RPF Assistance: Additional signage and Railway Protection Force (RPF) personnel will assist passengers in navigating the stations.
• Suspension of Platform Ticket Sales: To reduce congestion, platform ticket sales have been suspended. Those accompanying passengers will need a special ticket to enter the station.
• Separate Entry Gates for Ticket Holders: Reserved and unreserved ticket holders will use different entry gates to avoid overcrowding.
• Special Trains from Platform 16: All on-demand special trains will depart from Platform 16 at New Delhi Railway Station.

Enhanced security & ticketing arrangements:

• Relocation of Ticket Counters: Unreserved ticket booking counters have been moved to holding areas to improve passenger convenience.
• Railway Staff Equipped with Walkie-Talkies: Rail Sevaks and other officials have been provided with walkie-talkies for better communication and coordination.
• Special Uniforms for Ticket Inspectors: Traveling Ticket Examiners (TTEs) have been given distinct uniforms for easy identification and efficient ticket checking.
• Use of Mobile Ticketing & ATVMs: Automatic Ticket Vending Machines (ATVMs) and mobile ticketing options have been increased to meet the high demand.

Special trains & additional services:

• 404 Special Trains Announced: A total of 404 special trains will be operated during the festive season.
• Vande Bharat Train from Delhi to Patna: A new Vande Bharat train service has been introduced to cater to the high demand on this route.
• 14 Holi Special Trains Launched by March 9, 2025: These trains have been planned from various Delhi stations, including New Delhi (5), Anand Vihar (6), Delhi Junction (2), and Delhi Sarai Rohilla (1).

Platform & entry modifications:

• Queue Management for Smooth Boarding: Special queuing arrangements have been made to ensure smooth boarding, preventing unauthorized passengers from entering reserved coaches.
• Increased RPF Deployment on Foot Over Bridges (FOBs): Security has been strengthened to control passenger movement effectively.
• Changes at Ajmeri Gate Side: Considering the festive rush few changes have been made.