Nagpur: For thousands of Vidarbha residents working and studying in Pune, the biggest Diwali worry is no longer buying gifts or planning the celebrations, it is securing a confirmed railway ticket home. The 700-km journey between Pune and Nagpur has turned into an annual festive ordeal, with passengers struggling to find seats in either direction despite a flurry of special train announcements.
A review of 15 trains operating on or serving the Pune-Nagpur corridor for November 1 to 10 reveals the scale of the crisis. Several services are displaying ‘REGRET’ or ‘NOT AVAILABLE’ across Sleeper, AC 3-tier, AC 2-tier and Second Sitting classes, while waiting lists on major trains have climbed to between 177 and 250. The situation is particularly severe from November 5 to 10, when the post-Diwali return rush is expected to peak.
Even additional festive services have failed to provide adequate relief. Passengers attempting to book tickets on special trains are also encountering unavailable accommodation, leaving families with few affordable options for travelling home and returning to Pune in time for work or classes.
The recurring shortage has revived demands for more permanent trains, additional coaches and a stronger schedule of special services on the busy Pune-Amravati-Nagpur corridor.
15 trains checked, but confirmed seats remain elusive
The extent of the problem becomes evident from the booking position reported for the first 10 days of November. The Azad Hind Express (12129/12130) and Maharashtra Express (11039/11040) are showing waiting lists ranging from 177 to 250 throughout the period, while the Pune-Nagpur Express (12135/12136) is reporting ‘REGRET’ on several dates.
The Hadapsar-Nagpur Superfast Special (01202/01210) and Ajni Vande Bharat (26101/26102) are also facing severe booking constraints on multiple dates. Other services, including the Hadapsar-Rewa Superfast Special, Pune-Santragachi Humsafar Special, Pune-Hatia Express, Howrah Duronto, Nagpur Garib Rath and Nagpur Humsafar, are similarly affected on selected dates.
The Pune-Ajni AC Express, Pune-Bilaspur Express, Pune-Kazipet Express and Ajni Humsafar are among the other services for which accommodation is reported to be unavailable on specific dates.
The booking position is especially discouraging for passengers who had expected special trains to ease the festive rush. Instead, the additional services are also struggling to accommodate demand, while regular trains have been witnessing heavy waiting lists even during the main Diwali travel period.
Just three regular direct trains for a 700-km corridor
At the heart of the problem is the limited number of regular direct services connecting Pune with Nagpur. The corridor primarily relies on three trains: the daily Azad Hind Express, the daily Maharashtra Express and the Pune-Nagpur Express, which runs on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Sundays.
For a route carrying a large number of students, IT professionals, government employees and other workers from Vidarbha, the existing regular services leave passengers heavily dependent on festival specials during periods of peak demand.
The imbalance becomes more pronounced during Diwali, when thousands seek to travel home within a narrow window and return to Pune shortly afterwards. The demand is concentrated on a handful of dates, making it difficult for passengers to secure tickets even when they plan their journeys well in advance.
The problem is not confined to the journey towards Nagpur. The return leg is equally challenging, as employees and students must resume their professional and academic commitments after the holidays.
216 special trips, but only 40 for Hadapsar-Nagpur
Central Railway has announced 216 special train trips from Pune Division for the Diwali and Chhath festive period. However, only 40 of these trips have been earmarked for the Hadapsar-Nagpur route, according to the details cited by passengers.
The railway administration has said the special services will add around 30,000 berths. Yet, the reported booking position indicates that this additional capacity is being absorbed rapidly, with several services showing no availability within days of bookings opening.
Passengers argue that the overall number of special trips does not necessarily translate into meaningful relief for every route. With the Pune-Nagpur corridor serving a substantial population of Vidarbha residents, they want a larger share of the additional capacity to be directed towards Nagpur and adjoining destinations.
They also point out that special trains announced for the festive season cannot fully compensate for the limited number of regular services, particularly when demand surges simultaneously in both directions.
‘We are not asking for luxury, just a confirmed seat’
For passengers, the shortage is more than a railway booking inconvenience. It means uncertainty over family reunions, difficult travel arrangements and the possibility of spending the festival away from home.
“Two years I waited for Diwali leave. Pune to Nagpur is 700 km, but there is not a single confirmed seat from November 5 to 10, neither from Pune to Nagpur nor on the return journey. Waiting list 180, ‘REGRET’, and even Premium Tatkal fails. We are not asking for luxury; we are asking to go home,” said an IT professional working at Hinjewadi in Pune.
The difficulty is even greater for families travelling with elderly parents and children. When reserved accommodation is unavailable, some passengers are forced to consider unreserved travel or alternative road transport, both of which can be physically exhausting over such a long distance.
“Unreserved travel means standing for 14 hours with parents. Every year we face the same problem because there are not more trains on this route,” said a government teacher working with the Pune Municipal Corporation.
The complaints underline how the annual festive rush disproportionately affects passengers who depend on affordable rail travel rather than expensive last-minute alternatives.
Tatkal offers little relief as bookings fill rapidly
Tatkal booking, often treated as the last resort by passengers unable to secure advance reservations, is also proving unreliable.
According to an authorised IRCTC agent in Sitabuldi, AC Tatkal bookings open at 10 am and Sleeper Tatkal at 11 am, but demand is so intense that waiting lists can climb beyond 50 within two to three minutes.
The agent said Premium Tatkal, another option for passengers seeking last-minute accommodation, is also showing waiting lists exceeding 100 or ‘REGRET’ for some peak dates, including November 5, 6 and 7.
For many travellers, this leaves little practical scope to arrange a confirmed journey even when they are prepared to pay more for a ticket.
The combination of high demand, limited regular services and rapidly exhausted special-train accommodation has turned ticket booking into a race against time, with no assurance of success.
Passengers seek daily specials, extra coaches and permanent trains
Passengers have urged Central Railway to introduce additional daily special services between Nagpur and Pune from November 1 to 10, covering the peak outbound and return travel periods. They have also sought the augmentation of coaches on existing trains wherever operationally feasible.
Their broader demand is for more permanent services on the Pune-Nagpur corridor rather than a reliance on temporary arrangements during major festivals. A stronger regular timetable, they argue, would help accommodate the growing movement of workers and students between the two cities throughout the year and reduce the pressure during Diwali.
They have also called for better planning of return services, noting that additional trains in only one direction would not adequately address the problem faced by passengers travelling both ways.
For Vidarbha residents living away from home, Diwali is a time to reunite with family, observe traditions and celebrate together. But when confirmed tickets remain out of reach despite advance planning and special-train announcements, the journey home becomes a source of stress rather than anticipation.
The recurring crisis has put the focus on a basic question: whether railway capacity on one of Maharashtra’s important inter-regional travel corridors is keeping pace with passenger demand.
For thousands hoping to celebrate Diwali with their families, the expectation is straightforward, more trains, adequate berths and a safe, affordable journey home without the annual scramble for a confirmed seat.
