Pune: Festival Special Trains Leave Passengers in Distress With Delays, High Fares, Poor Conditions
Reported by Amit Singh
Pune, 4th October 2025: Complaints from passengers traveling on festival special trains have raised serious concerns about delays, poor coach conditions, and lack of basic hygiene. Several passengers have reported that trains, despite being charged at higher fares, are operating with scrapped or near-retired coaches.
Passenger feedback highlights recurring delays, with Train No. 01482 reaching Pune nearly eight hours late. Travelers alleged that the train frequently departs from its originating station with delays of 4 to 10 hours and reaches the destination 16 to 20 hours behind schedule, creating difficulties for families traveling during the festive season.
Another passenger traveling on Train No. 01452 expressed disappointment over the condition of the reserved sleeper coach, describing it as “pathetic” with seats unfit for long journeys. Reports also indicate that coaches appear to be made from scrapped bogies despite passengers paying higher fares.
In addition, complaints were raised regarding hygiene issues. A traveler on Train No. 01416 (Special Festival), Coach B3, requested urgent cleaning, citing extremely unhygienic conditions. Passengers have also reported the absence of pantry cars, long stoppages at intermediate stations, and high-priced food and water being sold by unauthorized vendors.
Indian Railways had announced last month that over 12,000 special trains would be operated to handle the surge in passenger traffic during Deepavali and Chhath festivals. Officials said that due to the heavy demand, unused or near-retired infrastructure is being deployed to run additional services, acknowledging that managing millions of passengers during the festive rush remains a major challenge.
