A sharp rise in passenger traffic has been witnessed at Pune railway station as schools and colleges remain closed for summer vacations, prompting many people to travel to their hometowns. The sudden surge has led to heavy congestion at the station, with tickets on several major trains already fully booked until June. As a result, those planning last-minute trips during the holiday season are facing significant inconvenience. Although the railway administration has introduced special trains on select routes to manage the seasonal rush, the growing number of travellers has left both trains and station premises overcrowded, creating a near “housefull” situation across services.
Pune’s status as a major hub for industry, education, and tourism continues to draw large numbers of visitors and daily commuters from across the country. A significant population travels to and from the city for employment and business purposes, resulting in an average daily footfall of around 1.5 to 2 lakh passengers at the station. Rail travel remains a preferred and affordable mode of transport compared to state transport buses, connecting Pune to key destinations such as Tirupati, Mumbai, Delhi, Danapur, Kolkata, Chennai, and Gorakhpur. With board examinations for Classes 10 and 12 now concluded, more families are planning vacations, further increasing the rush at the station.
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Several prominent trains operating from Pune towards northern regions—including the Jammu Tawi Jhelum Express, Danapur Express, Azad Hind Express, Gorakhpur Express, Duronto Express, Banaras Express, and Satragachi Express—currently have waiting lists ranging between 100 and 200 passengers until June. Similarly, major trains departing from Mumbai towards southern destinations, such as the Kanyakumari Express, Lokmanya Tilak Express, CSMT-Chennai Express, and Trivandrum Express, are fully booked until May 30. The overwhelming demand highlights the intense travel pressure during the summer period, leaving passengers with limited confirmed booking options.
To address the seasonal demand, the railway administration has operated more than 577 summer special train services from the Pune division. Despite this effort, the current capacity remains insufficient considering the volume of passengers, especially on routes to cities like Danapur, Delhi, Patna, and Lucknow. There is also a growing demand to convert weekly services into regular trains to better manage the crowd. Without additional services, many passengers are forced to travel in overcrowded conditions. According to Hemantkumar Behera, Public Relations Officer of Pune division, further planning is underway to introduce more trains in the future to ease congestion.
Pune railway station currently operates with six platforms and handles around 200 train movements daily, catering to nearly two lakh passengers. Approximately 75 trains originate from Pune, reflecting the station’s importance as a major transport hub. However, the existing infrastructure is under considerable strain due to the seasonal influx of travellers. Authorities are closely monitoring the situation and exploring measures to enhance capacity and improve passenger convenience, especially during peak travel periods like summer vacations.