Indian Railways: Confirming Seats on Trains Home for Holi Proves Difficult

Indian Railways: Getting confirmed tickets on several major trains from Bhopal to Delhi, Mumbai, Bihar, and Uttar Pradesh has become quite difficult even now.

Indian Railways: The festival of Holi is approaching, and with it, the desire of everyone living in other cities to return home for the festive season. However, this year, your journey might prove to be quite difficult. Confirming tickets on several major trains from Bhopal, the capital of Madhya Pradesh, to Delhi, Mumbai, Bihar, and Uttar Pradesh has already become very challenging.

Trains such as the Indore-Patna, Karnataka, and Humsafar Express are experiencing long waiting lists and are in a 'regret' status. Passengers unable to secure seats are being forced to seek alternative modes of transport, leading to increased expenses and inconvenience.

A Recurring Problem During Festive Periods

Whether it's Holi or Diwali, the inability to get confirmed seats on trains during any major festival celebrated in the country has become a common problem. Most trains show a 'no room' status about a month before the travel date, with waiting lists growing longer and confirmed tickets becoming difficult to obtain. Passengers state that such situations arise every year during the festive season. Notably, no responsible authority seems to be addressing this issue.

Resorting to Other Options

Out of compulsion, people resort to Tatkal tickets, which further increases the crowd. Many passengers have to opt for more expensive alternatives like buses, flights, or private vehicles to reach their homes. Passengers are demanding that the railways should announce additional or special trains before the festivals to reduce the pressure of crowds and ensure passengers can get confirmed seats.

Holi Special: 4 Pairs of Special Trains to Run from Bhopal Division

For the convenience of passengers during the Holi festival, the railways have announced the operation of 1410 special trains across the country, including 43 trains from West Central Railway. Special trains from the Bhopal division, namely Rewa-Rani Kamalapati (02192/02191, 02186/02185), Bhopal–Rewa (01704/01703), and Rani Kamalapati–Danapur (01667/01668), will be run on scheduled dates. The operation of these trains will help reduce the additional rush during the festival and provide passengers with a smoother travel experience.

'Regret and No Room' Status on These Trains

- Srinagar-Shirdi-Kalka Superfast Express (22455): Confirmed tickets are unavailable from February 28 to March 5. Passengers are facing a 'no room' situation.
- Karnataka Express (12627): Confirmed tickets are not available in all major classes from February 28 to March 5.
- Ahmedabad-Saharsa Express (19483): The status is 'regret' in Sleeper, 2AC, and 3AC classes from February 25 to March 2.
- Indore-Patna Express (19321): Seats in Sleeper, 2AC, and 3AC are full, showing 'regret' from February 25 to March 1.
- Ahmedabad-Asansol Express (19435): Tickets are unavailable in all major classes from February 25 to March 5.
- Mangala Lakshadweep Superfast Express (12618): The status has been 'regret' from February 26 to March 2.
- Humsafar Express (19092): The 'regret' status is being shown for ticket bookings from February 25 to March 5.