Ranchi: Spirit of Holi is visible at the bustling railway and bus stations in the city as several residents begin their annual journey back to their native places in Bihar and Uttar Pradesh to celebrate the festival with their family and friends.Railway stations are packed throughout the day, with long queues at ticket counters and buzzing platforms a common sight. Many passengers said they planned their journey well in advance, but last-minute travellers were left scrambling for seats amid near-full occupancy on most long-distance trains.To ease festive travel for passengers, Ranchi railway division has launched Holi special trains connecting the city with various locations such as Anand Vihar in New Delhi, Bhubaneswar in Odisha and Dhanbad.“The 02877 Ranchi-Anand Vihar special train left Ranchi on Feb 28, and the next train will leave on March 7. In the return direction, 02878 Anand Vihar–Ranchi special train left Delhi on March 1. The next train will leave on March 8, ensuring smooth travel for Holi revellers,” Ranchi railway division’s CPRO, Shuchi Singh, said.The 02832 Bhubaneswar-Dhanbad Holi special train also started operations on Feb 28 and will run until March 31.Amid the festive rush, seats on outbound trains from Ranchi to Patna are filling fast. IRCTC’s official website showed that the waiting list on the 12366 Ranchi-Patna Janshatabdi Express stands at 81, and the 22350 Ranchi-Patna Vande Bharat Express was 40. Similarly, the waiting list for the 18624 Hatia-Islampur Express was 94.Sumit Kumar, an e-rickshaw driver here, who hails from Bihar’s Gaya, said, “I am planning to go home for the Holi celebrations, as I can only afford to go home only once or twice a year during festivals. However, I am not yet able to get a train ticket and am not sure whether I will make it home in time.”The festive surge is equally visible at the city’s bus terminals, where passenger footfall rose sharply over the past few days. Long queues for inter-state buses, especially those bound for Patna, Gaya, Varanasi and Prayagraj, were reported.Mustaq Alam, a city-based travel agent, said, “Every year during Holi, there is a heavy rush of passengers going to Bihar and Uttar Pradesh, as many people from these states work here. This season, we also noticed a surge.”
