Ranchi: With Durga Puja around a month away, the festive travel rush has begun, with Ranchi-bound trains from Delhi, Mumbai and West Bengal reporting long waiting lists for tickets.Families are worried about getting berths in trains and reaching home in time, particularly those with children or relatives studying and working outside Jharkhand.Trains from Delhi, including Jammu Tawi Express, Rajdhani Express, Jharkhand Express and Swarna Jayanti Express, had waiting lists across sleeper and AC classes for Oct 16 and 17. On Sunday, Rajdhani’s AC three-tier waiting list was 118, while the Anand Vihar-Ranchi Swarna Jayanti Express had a waiting list of 107.“My daughter studies in Delhi and has been trying to get a confirmed ticket. But the waiting list is not moving, and we are worried about whether she will reach home during the Puja vacation,” said Ranchi resident Kajal Devi.The rush was similar on routes from Mumbai and West Bengal. The Lokmanya Tilak Express to Ranchi had a waiting list of 160. Howrah-Ranchi Vande Bharat and Shatabdi Express still had seats, but they were filling fast. Howrah-Hatia Kriya Yoga Express had a sleeper class waiting list of 104.Senior divisional commercial manager Shreya Singh said proposals for special trains for Durga Puja, Chhath and Diwali had been sent to the Railway Board.Airfares have also risen. Delhi-Ranchi tickets for Oct 17 cost Rs 10,000-13,000, while Mumbai-Ranchi fares were Rs 10,000-17,000.
