With the upcoming Dasara and Diwali festivals, getting train tickets to Andhra Pradesh, Odisha, and Kolkata is becoming increasingly difficult. Most trains are already fully booked for the peak travel season. Surprisingly, even tickets for Sankranti, which is four months away, are being reserved. Taking advantage of the situation, travel agents are charging double the usual fare for tatkal tickets.
The South Central Railways (SCR) operates trains to major destinations including Visakhapatnam, Machilipatnam, Nellore, Kakinada, Narasapur, Bhimavaram, Eluru, Ongole, Vizianagaram, and Tirupati, as well as to Odisha, Bihar, and Kolkata. Unfortunately, many of these trains are already fully booked until November 5.
Express trains like the Kakinada Port Express, Visakhapatnam Vande Bharat Express, Vijayawada InterCity Express, Krishna Express, East Coast Express, and Falaknuma Express have no available seats. Passengers who tried to book tickets through the IRCTC website were met with a “regret” message, meaning no seats were available in both sleeper and AC classes. Surprisingly, some superfast trains to Andhra Pradesh are already fully booked for Sankranti in January.
Passengers have noted that travel agents are exploiting the situation by charging double the normal rates. For example, a ticket from Secunderabad Junction to Vijayawada, which usually costs between Rs 300 to Rs 500, has risen to Rs 1000. During the festive season, tatkal rates could rise even further. Passengers suggest that instead of only running special trains, increasing the number of bogies in existing trains would help ease the rush.
Sai Teja, an IT employee from Kukatpally, shared his experience of trying to book a ticket to Kakinada Port for his mother for October 2. He was unable to get a ticket and was forced to approach a travel agent who charged him Rs 1200 for a 3AC ticket that usually costs Rs 855.
Robin, a resident of RK Puram, echoed similar frustrations. He mentioned that every year during the festive season, people are forced to pay travel agents double the fare because of emergencies or work-related travel. He suggested that SCR should increase the number of coaches in addition to running special trains.
In response to the situation, a senior officer from SCR stated that they plan to run 300 special trains, similar to last year, to manage the festive rush. Depending on demand, special trains will be operated to various destinations.
