With train tickets sold out and airfares skyrocketing, Pune resident Rahul Sharma is facing a dilemma on how to travel to his hometown in Bihar for Holi next month. The Pune-Danapur Express has been cancelled for several days, and other trains to northern states are fully booked with long waiting lists. One-way airfares to Patna are between ₹11,000 and ₹14,000, putting a strain on Sharma’s family budget. As a result, he is now looking into private vehicle options for his family of four.
Similarly, Kharadi resident Nitin Joshi and his wife had to cancel their trip to Prayagraj for the Maha Kumbh due to lack of confirmed train tickets. They believe that the Railways should have announced the cancellation of the Danapur Express earlier, as it stops at crucial locations during the Kumbh Mela. Many other families in Pune are also facing disappointment due to the unavailability of train tickets.
In response to the high demand, railway authorities have announced 28 Holi special trains to handle the festival rush. They are also considering adding more special trains connecting Pune and Mumbai with northern states. Meanwhile, college student Akash Verma is exploring bus travel as an alternative to reach Patna in time for the festival.
Amidst the travel chaos, passengers like Siddharth Yadav are planning alternative routes, such as taking a train to Delhi and then boarding another to Ranchi. The situation highlights the challenges faced by travelers during peak festival seasons when transportation options are limited and in high demand.
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