Festive travel rush: Train services from Pune show ‘regret’ as waiting lists fill up
The Indian Express · Shubham Kurale ·
With airfares on the Pune-Bengaluru route remaining high, the newly inaugurated Vande Bharat Sleeper also saw its seats fully booked for November, as passengers contended with waiting lists.
With the festive season driving a surge in passenger demand, travellers planning journeys from Pune to several popular destinations started to face difficulty securing confirmed railway tickets. Several trains connecting the city to destinations such as Indore, Delhi, Gorakhpur and Banaras were either fully booked or had long waiting lists, as some services displayed the “regret” status, indicating even waitlisted bookings were no longer being accepted.
Travel agents say the rush intensified since the advance reservation period was reduced from four months to two months. As a result, tickets along popular routes were booked within minutes of reservations opening, while even special trains introduced to accommodate the festive rush filled up quickly.
Santosh Tripathi of Pune-based Hasmukh Travels said trains from Pune to Indore, Delhi, Gorakhpur and Danapur (Patna), among other destinations, witnessed heavy demand despite the operation of additional services.
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