Patna: As Bihar prepares for state assembly elections in two phases, starting on November 6, a surge of migrant workers is racing to return to their home districts after the Chhath festival, leaving railway tickets and airfares in short supply.
Political parties had reportedly tried to prevent migrants from returning ahead of the vote, citing concerns about the logistical and political implications. Yet, the opposite has occurred: trains are fully booked, waiting lists are overflowing, and airfares have risen two to three times their usual rates. The Chhath festival, which concludes with the morning Arghya on October 28, appears to have intensified demand for travel from major cities back to Bihar.
Rail services from Patna, Gaya, Bhagalpur, and Muzaffarpur to New Delhi and other major hubs are particularly strained. Regular trains, including the Sampoorna Kranti, Tejas, Mahabodhi, Vikramshila, Magadh, Sanghamitra, and Swatantrata Senani Express, are operating at over three times their usual passenger demand. The Tejas Rajdhani Express from Patna to Delhi, for instance, has a 280-person waiting list for 3AC class on October 29, and several trains have no available 3AC tickets at all until the first phase of voting.
Sleeper class coaches are similarly overbooked. The Vikramshila Express from Bhagalpur to Anand Vihar and the Swatantrata Senani Express from Muzaffarpur to Delhi report waiting lists extending into early November. Trains to Mumbai and Bengaluru are also affected, with confirmed tickets unavailable on multiple services until after the elections. The Sanghamitra Express to Bengaluru has no confirmed 3AC or sleeper tickets from October 28 to November 18, with only RAC tickets becoming available after November 19.
Passengers have called for the introduction of additional services to accommodate the surge, particularly for routes to South India. Railways officials have not announced any new trains to meet the heightened demand.
