Waiting list for Ahmedabad–North India trains touches 200 ahead of Holi

The waiting list for trains travelling from Ahmedabad to various destinations in North India has surged to as high as 200 ahead of the Holi-Dhuleti festival, amid a sharp rise in passenger demand.

People from Ahmedabad hailing from states such as Uttar Pradesh and Bihar traditionally return to their native places to celebrate Holi with their families. With the festival approaching, thousands have already begun their journeys, and the rush is expected to intensify from Thursday and Friday.

Railway officials said most trains departing from Ahmedabad for Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, and Bihar are fully booked after Thursday. In several services, the sleeper class waiting list has climbed to 200 on certain days, while the waiting list for 3-AC coaches is hovering between 100 and 125. 

There is no provision for advance booking in the general category, leading to concerns of severe overcrowding in unreserved coaches.

To manage the festive rush, Western Railway has announced 684 special train trips during the Holi season. However, passengers said the additional services have not been sufficient to meet the heavy demand.

At Ahmedabad railway station, authorities have put in place additional arrangements to handle the surge in footfall. Apart from the existing waiting areas near the reservation window on the Kalupur side and near the booking office towards Saraspur, three more temporary waiting areas have been set up.

An additional waiting space has been created on the ground floor and along the elevated road of the Multi-Modal Transport Hub on the Kalupur side. Another waiting area has been arranged on the road stretch from the Saraspur booking office towards the Phul Mosque. Basic amenities such as lighting, fans and drinking water have been provided at these locations.

Officials have been deployed round the clock to oversee ticket booking, assist passengers at help desks and ensure safety on the premises.

Most North India-bound trains are being operated from platform number 8, resulting in increased crowding on adjoining platforms as well, officials added.