Patna: With Chhath Puja scheduled from November 13 to 16, people living in cities such as Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai and Bengaluru are preparing to return home to Bihar for the festival. However, many travellers are facing difficulties securing confirmed train tickets, while airfares on key routes to Bihar have risen sharply amid increased demand.
The rush is particularly high for trains connecting major cities with Patna. For several dates around Chhath, passengers are either unable to find confirmed berths or are being offered long waiting lists.
Delhi-Patna trains see heavy demand
Passengers travelling from Delhi to Patna for Chhath are facing difficulties getting confirmed tickets for November 13 and 14.
The demand for seats on trains operating on the Delhi-Patna route has increased significantly as people plan their journeys home for the festival.
Kolkata-Patna trains also packed
Passengers travelling from Kolkata to Patna are also struggling to find confirmed tickets.
The Duronto Express has no available tickets, while the waiting list for the Poorva Express has reached around 200, according to the available booking status.
Mumbai-Patna trains face similar rush
The situation is similar on trains from Mumbai to Patna. For November 13 and surrounding dates, most trains either have no available tickets or waiting lists exceeding 100.
The heavy demand is being driven by people returning to Bihar for Chhath Puja.
Bengaluru-Patna tickets hard to find
Passengers travelling from Bengaluru to Patna are also finding it difficult to secure confirmed train tickets.
The waiting list for the Sanghamitra Express has crossed 100, while tickets on the Bagmati Express have already sold out for the relevant travel dates.
Chennai-Patna trains nearly full
Passengers planning to travel from Chennai to Patna by train are also facing limited availability, with securing tickets becoming increasingly difficult as the festival approaches.
Flight fares rise sharply
Travellers opting for flights to Bihar during Chhath Puja may have to pay significantly more than usual.
A Delhi-Patna flight ticket generally costs around Rs 6,000- Rs 8,000, but increased festive demand has pushed fares up to nearly three times the usual level on some dates.
The surge in airfares comes amid a sharp increase in demand during the festive season, along with higher aviation turbine fuel (ATF) prices.
Airlines use dynamic pricing, under which fares can rise as demand and seat availability change. The removal of the earlier fare caps has also given airlines greater flexibility in pricing tickets.
With Chhath being one of Bihar’s biggest festivals, the rush is expected to remain high in the days leading up to November 13, particularly on major routes connecting Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Bengaluru and Chennai with Patna.
