Diwali train tickets sell out within minutes of booking opening

Passengers travelling to their hometowns for Diwali in November are facing a major headache. Confirmed tickets on several long-distance trains are selling out within minutes of railway reservations opening, leaving passengers with only a waiting list ticket or none at all. This has become a big challenge for those planning to go home for the Diwali holidays.

Since Diwali falls in November, many passengers had begun planning their travel as early as two months in advance. As soon as the booking date arrived, passengers tried to book tickets on the website or app at 8 am. However, by the time they selected the train and date and reached the payment stage, no seats were left. On some trains, even the chance of getting a waiting list ticket had run out, disappointing passengers. Those who went directly to ticket counters to avoid online booking issues also did not get the tickets they wanted.

The Ajni-Pune Express, Maharashtra Express, Garib Rath, Humsafar Express and Nagpur-Pune Express, which run from Pune towards Vidarbha, see the highest demand during the festive season. Besides these, passenger numbers also rise on routes to Konkan and Marathwada, as well as Delhi, Lucknow, Patna, Danapur and Kolkata. The Azad Hind Express, Pune-Kazipet Express, Jhelum Express, Lucknow Express and Danapur Express also see heavy demand.

The railways had earlier allowed reservations up to 120 days in advance, which was later reduced to 60 days. However, even though this period has been shortened, it has made little difference to demand during the festive season. Since long-distance train travel is relatively safe, convenient and affordable, passengers continue to prefer the railways. This is why passengers are demanding that additional and special trains be run during the Dussehra-Diwali period.

With ticket demand surging sharply during the festive season, there are also complaints that ordinary passengers are being hurt by the interference of touts. Passengers allege that advanced technology is being used to book tickets rapidly both at reservation counters and in the online process, and they are demanding stricter controls over the reservation system.

Passenger Nikita Deshpande said she had been planning her ticket for nearly two months to travel to her hometown for Diwali. As soon as bookings opened at 8 am, she tried to book a ticket online, but confirmed tickets ran out within minutes. She then tried for a waiting list ticket, but that too was unavailable. She said she was now hoping a special train would be introduced.

Pune railway station has six platforms in all, with about 170 passenger trains running through it daily. The daily passenger count is around 1.7 lakh, which rises to about 2 lakh during the festive season. This rise in passenger numbers is also reflected in longer reservation waiting lists.