Bengaluru: In view of the anticipated passenger surge during the Holi festival, East Coast Railway has announced the extension of special weekly train services between Visakhapatnam and SMVT Bengaluru to ease travel demand.
According to the notification, Train No. 08581 Visakhapatnam–SMVT Bengaluru Weekly Express, which operates on Sundays and was earlier scheduled to run up to February 22, 2026, will now continue its services from March 1 to March 29, 2026.
Similarly, Train No. 08582 SMVT Bengaluru–Visakhapatnam Weekly Express, operating on Mondays and earlier notified to run up to February 23, 2026, has been extended from March 2 to March 30, 2026.
Railway officials stated that the extension has been approved to accommodate the extra rush of passengers travelling during the Holi festival season. The move is expected to benefit hundreds of passengers commuting between Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka during the festive period.
The announcement was shared by Dr. Manjunath Kanamadi, Chief Public Relations Officer, South Western Railway, Hubballi.
