Festive Rush Forces Demand For Special Trains From Ahmedabad To Uttar Pradesh And Bihar

Diwali and Chhath Puja are weeks away, but passengers in Gujarat heading home to Uttar Pradesh and Bihar face severe seat shortages as waiting lists on regular routes surge.

Rail commuter bodies have formally petitioned Western Railway authorities to run unreserved general and sleeper special trains immediately from Ahmedabad Junction and Asarwa Terminal to clear the festive backlog.

The Waiting List Crisis

Current trains bound for major hubs like Lucknow, Gorakhpur, Varanasi, Patna, Muzaffarpur, and Ranchi are already reporting heavy bookings with little room for last-minute travellers.

Travellers unable to secure rail tickets often turn to private buses, which frequently hike fares during peak holiday windows and expose commuters to steep travel costs.

Alleviating Station Congestion At Asarwa

Consumer representatives suggest that leveraging the nearby Asarwa Terminal could ease heavy platform congestion at the main Ahmedabad station.

Operating special services via the Jaipur, Kanpur, and Lucknow route from Asarwa would distribute passenger footfall more evenly across the city's rail infrastructure.

Advance Notification Vital

Rail officials have been urged to announce holiday specials at least a month prior to departure.

Late announcements historically lead to poor advance bookings because passengers have already made alternative travel arrangements, resulting in underutilised trains and lost revenue for the network.