Diwali rush: Regular and special trains to villages from Pune already wait-listed

Passengers planning to travel to their villages for the Diwali holidays are struggling to get railway reservations. Reservations on regular trains are full on most routes, and tickets on many trains are wait-listed.

Given the growing rush of passengers, the railway administration has started special trains on different routes. However, reservations on these special trains are also filling up quickly, adding to passengers' worries.

Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad have a large number of people who have come from Vidarbha, Marathwada and Khandesh for study, jobs and business. They prefer to go to their villages with their families during the Diwali holidays. Railways is their first choice because it is cheaper and the journey is safe. But passenger numbers rise during the festival, making it hard to get a reservation.

Diwali begins on November 5 this year, so people had been trying for tickets well in advance. Even so, reservations are unavailable on most trains, and passengers are having to think about other means of travel.

For Diwali and Chhath Puja, the railway administration has planned special trains on different routes from Pune, Khadki and Hadapsar stations. They will run on routes including Hadapsar-Muzaffarpur, Hadapsar-Ghazipur, Hadapsar-Nagpur, Pune-Amravati, Pune-Danapur, Hadapsar-Prayagraj and Pune-Muzaffarpur.

The problem is that these special trains have not been given stops at Pimpri and Chinchwad stations. Passengers from Pimpri-Chinchwad will therefore have to go to Pune, Khadki or Hadapsar station to board.

Tatkal reservation is also an option for passengers. One day before the train departs, bookings can be made from 10 am to 11 am for AC class tickets and from 11 am to 12 noon for sleeper class tickets. But passengers are struggling hard to get tickets even through this facility.

According to Hemantkumar Behera, public relations officer, Central Railway, Pune Division, special trains have been run on different routes from Pune, Khadki and Hadapsar stations, given the growing rush of passengers for Diwali and Chhath Puja.