Gayaji: Crowds have swelled at Gaya Junction as thousands of passengers travel for Holi, leaving platforms packed and waiting lists stretching across major routes. Anticipating the seasonal surge, Indian Railways introduced four special trains passing through the Bihar city. Yet platforms 1 and 2 have seen heavy congestion, with travellers struggling to board packed services.
Most trains connecting Gaya to metropolitan hubs such as New Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata and Chennai are fully booked. Even premium services including the Rajdhani Express are running with long waiting lists. Tatkal tickets, often seen as a last-minute solution, have offered little relief, leaving families, elderly passengers and children among the worst affected.
Veer Bahadur Singh, who planned to travel to Delhi with his children to celebrate the festival, said his third AC ticket on the Mahabodhi Express remained unconfirmed. “Getting a confirmed ticket has become extremely difficult,” he said, echoing the frustration of many others at the station. Another passenger, Chandan Kumar, who arrived from Kolkata and planned to continue his journey by a local passenger train, urged the railways to increase the number of special services. “The biggest problem is confirmed tickets,” he said.
Station manager Vinod Kumar Singh said additional arrangements and security measures had been put in place to manage the crowds. Four special trains are operating between Gaya and cities including Delhi and Kolkata, he said, but demand remains unusually high, particularly on routes linked to Mumbai. Sleeper, AC and three-tier coaches on the Mumbai Mail are fully booked, with waiting lists several times longer than on normal days.
Security has also been tightened. Shiv Kumar Yadav, station house officer of the Gaya rail police, said special strategies had been implemented to prevent incidents such as drugging and pickpocketing. Announcements are being made on crowded platforms, urging passengers to board and alight safely as authorities attempt to manage one of the busiest travel periods of the year.
