- By Akansha Pandey
- Thu, 02 Oct 2025 10:46 AM (IST)
- Source:Jagran News Network
Even as the country celebrates Dussehra, the travel rush for the upcoming Diwali and Chhath festivals is already at its peak, leaving countless passengers struggling to find a way home. Regular trains heading to Gorakhpur from major states like Punjab, Delhi, Maharashtra, and Gujarat are fully booked, with confirmed tickets now unavailable for the festive period.
The situation has made travel extremely difficult for people from the Purvanchal region and Bihar. Popular trains are showing 'No Room' status, meaning even waitlisted tickets cannot be purchased, sparking a desperate search for travel options.
Status Of Key Trains
From Delhi and Punjab:
12556 Gorakhdham Express (from Bathinda via Delhi): From October 15 to 25, the AC Third and Sleeper classes are in 'No Room' status, with no waitlisted tickets available.
12554 Vaishali Express (from Delhi): The availability mirrors that of the Gorakhdham Express, with no seats open.
12596 Anand Vihar-Gorakhpur Humsafar Express: The waiting list has crossed 300 for journeys on October 17 and 24.
12572 Humsafar Express: A waiting list of over 200 is reported for the period between October 16 and 25.
From Maharashtra:
19038 Bandra Express: The AC Third and Sleeper classes are showing 'No Room' from October 15 to 28.
22538 Kushinagar Express: From October 15 to 26, the waiting list in AC Third is over 150, while Sleeper Class is in 'No Room' status.
20103 LTT-Gorakhpur Superfast: Both AC Third and Sleeper classes have a waiting list exceeding 150 and are expected to hit 'No Room' status soon.
Puja Special Trains: The Available Alternative
Despite the packed regular services, the railway administration highlights that a record number of Puja special trains have been announced, and berths are still available on these services for the Delhi-Mumbai to Gorakhpur routes.
Travel experts note that passengers who planned in advance secured confirmed tickets on regular trains. Those booking now face significant challenges, as many travelers first attempt to book on regular services due to perceptions of inconvenience or delays on special trains, despite the extra fare. They are compelled to turn to special trains only when no other option is left.
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In response to the immense demand, the railway administration continues to announce more special services. Pankaj Kumar Singh, Chief Public Relations Officer for North Eastern Railway, elaborated on the measures taken:
"Considering the increasing crowd of passengers and their difficulties during the festivals, the operation of 150 Puja special trains has been announced until 30 November. All these trains will run for a total of 2,024 additional trips. To facilitate passengers travelling to Bihar, a plan has been made to run more than 12,000 trains. Detailed information about the list of special trains, timetable, route, and stops is available on the official railway website, the IRCTC, and at nearby railway stations. Rail passengers can make advance bookings to travel on these special trains."