Diwali rush: Mumbai, Pune trains to Nagpur show no seats, flight fares top Rs 17,000

Students, salaried workers and IT professionals planning to return to Nagpur from Mumbai and Pune for Diwali with their families are facing growing difficulty. Demand for rail and air travel has risen sharply for the festival, and the effect is plainly visible in ticket availability and fares.

Between 4 and 7 November, bookings on the main trains from Mumbai and Pune to Nagpur have reached "regret" status. This means there are currently no tickets in the categories concerned, and getting a seat through general booking has become difficult. The same problem may confront people returning from Nagpur to Mumbai and Pune after Diwali.

Passenger numbers on these trains rise every Diwali. Many students from Nagpur study in the two cities, and thousands work in private companies, the IT sector and other institutions. Regret is showing on several trains, including the Duronto Express on the Mumbai-Nagpur-Mumbai route. For those who did not book in advance, planning to reach Nagpur on the date they want has become hard. Salaried workers have limited leave, so changing the date is not easy either.

Some passengers are thinking of travelling on Diwali day. According to available information, some trains from Mumbai to Nagpur on that day are showing waiting lists, but the waiting list has crossed 100. A waiting-list ticket is no guarantee of a confirmed seat, so those travelling with families have to be especially careful. Trains from Pune to Nagpur also have seat problems in the AC and sleeper classes.

The Vande Bharat Express between Nagpur and Pune is also an important option. Tickets are easily available on it on ordinary days, but demand has risen for the festival too. The fare for its Executive Chair Car is about Rs 3,740, yet seats are fully booked.

The Nagpur division of Central Railway has put a demand for special trains before the Indian Railways. According to Senior Divisional Commercial Manager Aman Mittal, a proposal has been sent to run two to three trips from Nagpur to Pune, Mumbai and Samastipur in Bihar, considering the passengers' difficulties. The trains are expected to be announced in the coming days. However, there is a difference between a proposal being sent and an official announcement, so passengers are waiting for official information on dates, timings, stoppages and the start of booking.

With no seats on trains, many passengers are looking to flights, but fares have risen too. According to available information, the fare on the Pune-Nagpur flight before Diwali has reached about Rs 17,697, while the fare on Mumbai-Nagpur flights is reported to be about Rs 19,028. On the weekend after Diwali, too, fares on these flights are reported to be more than double the normal rates.

The impact could fall on students and salaried workers. Buying an expensive air ticket may be difficult for students, and employees of private companies find it hard to shift travel dates within limited leave. Those travelling with families have to arrange several tickets at once, so they are having to balance date, mode of travel and budget.

There is also concern for those returning to Mumbai and Pune after Diwali, as a large number of students and employees go back to their colleges and workplaces then. If additional trains are not arranged, difficulty may arise on the return journey too. For now, everyone is watching for the railways' announcement of special trains.