Diwali Rush Triggers Train Ticket Shortages Between Pune and Nagpur

Passengers traveling from Pune to Nagpur and other parts of the Vidarbha region for Diwali face extreme difficulty securing rail accommodations. Pune Pulse reported that several trains running between Pune and Nagpur are displaying a regret status or waiting lists reaching up to 250 passengers. Pune Pulse and Nagpur Today both report that passengers face a major ticket shortage, leaving many uncertain if they can reach home despite the deployment of additional festive train services. [1][2]

The lack of available regular train services has left travelers struggling to secure confirmed seats. According to The Live Nagpur, additional Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation buses will operate between Nagpur and Pune to help handle the increase in seasonal travelers during the Diwali surge. [1][3]

Nagpur is the third largest city in Maharashtra, the seat of the annual winter session of the state assembly, and a key commercial hub for the Vidarbha region. Rail capacity issues in Maharashtra during major festivals previously led to safety incidents, such as a crowd crush at Bandra Terminus in Mumbai on October 27, 2024, which injured nine people as passengers surged toward a departing train. [4][5]

Regional rail operations face ongoing structural adjustments to manage high passenger volume. As FTMQ Travel reported earlier, Central Railway is adding 18 15-coach train services on the Kalyan-Kasara route after Diwali, increasing per-service capacity by 25 percent to help relieve suburban congestion. [7]