Pune railway trains bound for northern and eastern India are facing exceptionally high festive-season demand, with reservation levels reaching as high as 198% on some services, according to data released by the railway administration up to September 30. Passengers have been advised to check their reservation status before beginning their journey.
Bookings for trains travelling from Pune to other states began two months in advance, but several services towards North and East India have now become fully booked. The railway administration has decided to operate special trains to manage the additional demand. However, these special services will be unreserved, which could increase pressure on passengers at stations and during boarding.
The data covers 1,449 trips operated by 106 trains originating from or arriving at Pune. Around 6.7 lakh passengers have been recorded across these services, generating estimated ticket revenue of approximately Rs 76.8 crore. Reservations on about one in every five trips are above the available berth capacity, indicating the inclusion of passengers on waiting lists.
The strongest demand is on long-distance routes. The Pune–Supaul Express recorded the highest average reservation level among the services listed, at 131% across 29 trips in November. It has 41,573 registered passengers and is expected to generate about Rs 5 crore in revenue. On one day, its reservation level reached 167%.
The Pune–Jammu Tawi Jhelum Express recorded average reservations of 123%, rising to 198% on one day. The service is expected to carry 39,235 passengers and generate approximately Rs 4.2 crore in revenue. The Pune–Danapur special train recorded average reservations of 125%, with a peak of 181%, and has 28,880 registered passengers.
Other heavily booked long-distance services include the Azad Hind Express to Howrah, which has 34,938 registered passengers, and the Kanyakumari Express, with 32,475 passengers. Average reservations on the two services range between 110% and 114%. Demand is also strong in the return direction, with the Jammu Tawi–Pune Jhelum Express recording average reservations of 99% and the Supaul–Pune service recording 88%.
The pattern is different on several shorter routes from Pune. On the Mumbai route, reservations are 5.5% on the Deccan Queen, 6.8% on the Intercity Express, 7.6% on the Indrayani Express, 8.1% on the Deccan Express and 9.5% on the Pragati Express. The Kolhapur–Pune Vande Bharat has recorded 4.9% reservations, while the Pune–Kolhapur direction stands at 3.7%.
Lower reservation levels have also been recorded on services towards Marathwada and Solapur. The Beed–Pune Express is at 2.6%, while the Pune–Beed service is at 9.2%. Reservations on the Hutatma Express are around 8%.
The railway administration has asked passengers to verify their reservation details before travelling, particularly those relying on waiting-list tickets or planning to use the unreserved special trains. The published figures cover reservations recorded up to September 30, while the listed services include trips scheduled during November.
