Summer travel rush keeps trains packed, waiting lists cross 200 on key routes

With summer vacations underway, railway stations across Ahmedabad and other parts of Gujarat are witnessing a sharp rise in passenger traffic, as tourists, migrant families and religious travellers crowd long-distance trains. Despite the introduction of several summer special services by Western Railway, confirmed tickets remain difficult to secure on many major routes, with waiting lists ranging from 50 to over 200 passengers.

Railway officials said the seasonal rush has significantly increased demand on routes connecting Gujarat with Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, West Bengal and southern states. Platforms at key stations, including Ahmedabad, Sabarmati, Asarwa and Gandhidham, have been witnessing heavy footfall since the start of the vacation season.

29 summer special trains under Ahmedabad division

According to railway authorities, 29 summer special trains are currently being operated under the Ahmedabad railway division to manage the additional passenger load. So far, these trains have completed 85 trips, while another 123 trips are scheduled to run till the end of July.

Earlier, Indian Railways had announced 18,262 summer special trips nationwide between April 15 and July 15 to cater to the annual vacation rush.

Special services have been introduced from stations including Ahmedabad, Sabarmati, Vatva, Asarwa, Gandhidham, Bhavnagar, Udhna and Valsad.

Among the major routes currently being operated are:

Ahmedabad–Mumbai Superfast Special

Asarwa–Agra Cantt

Asarwa–Kanpur Central

Sabarmati–Durgapur

Sabarmati–Asansol

Udhna–Santragachi

Officials said 10 long-distance weekly summer special trains under the Ahmedabad division will continue operating till the end of July, while 17 trains have already completed their scheduled rounds.

Routes where summer special services have ended

Railways has discontinued summer special operations on several routes after completion of scheduled trips. These include:

Sabarmati–Asansol

Gandhidham–Malda Town

Ahmedabad–Patna Junction Weekly

Sabarmati–Darbhanga

Bhuj–Kolkata

Vatva–Howrah Junction

Sabarmati–Howrah Junction

Sabarmati–Shakurbasti

Asarwa–Shakurbasti

Summer special trains still running from Gujarat

Several weekly summer special trains from Gujarat stations are still operational and will continue till the end of July. These include:

Ahmedabad–Mangaluru Junction Weekly

Ahmedabad–Darbhanga Weekly

Ahmedabad–Mumbai Central Weekly

Ahmedabad–Chennai Central Weekly

Vatva–Mumbai Central Weekly

Sabarmati–Sultanpur Weekly

Sabarmati–Haridwar Weekly

Asarwa–Kanpur Weekly

Gandhidham–Bandra Terminus Weekly

Gandhidham–Bhagalpur Weekly

Waiting lists remain high on major routes

Despite the additional services, passengers continue to face difficulty securing confirmed berths, especially on long-distance and holiday routes. Railway officials said waiting lists on several trains have crossed 100 and, in some cases, reached nearly 200 passengers.

Passengers are now hoping for additional special trains or extra coaches to be announced in the coming weeks as the peak summer travel season continues.