Summer rush: Waiting lists lengthen for trains,flights

In response to the increase in bookings,the Ambala Division has added additional coaches in Sadhbhavna Express,running between Chandigarh and Lucknow,this month onwards. Nonetheless,there are no berths available before May 5.

“The division would be adding extra coaches to other trains as well to meet summer traffic,” said Divisional Railway Manager H K Jaggi.

“I wanted to get a ticket booked for Mumbai,but there is none available before a month. I have to opt for a flight now,which would result in an unwanted increase in my vacation budget,” said Rupali Malhotra,a banker from Chandigarh.

Station Superintendent R K Datta said: “No tickets are available for Paschim Express running between Chandigarh and Bandra till the third week of May. Also,the waiting list for Kerala Sampark Kranti Express running between Chandigarh and Kerala is increasing every day.”

Cashing in on the summer rush,low-budget carrier MDLR airlines will soon introduce flights to hill stations,while other airlines is also expected to follow suit.

According to MDLR officials,flights to destinations like Dharamshala,Dehradun and Shimla will be introduced from May. Demand for the recently introduced Kingfisher Airlines flights from Chandigarh to Jammu and Srinagar have also picked up considerably.

“Flights from Chandigarh to Srinagar are getting booked faster than those to Jammu. For a 66-seater plane,occupancy usually hovers around 45,which has gone up in recent days. Chandigarh-Delhi evening flights are going full,” said Gurpreet Kaur,Kingfisher Supervisor (Reservations).

Similar trends in passenger response were confirmed by GoAir that recently began operations in Chandigarh,with flights to Delhi,Mumbai and Goa. Airline staff said flight occupancy for 174-seater planes flying to Delhi and Mumbai had gone up to an average of 150 passengers and is expected to go up further in the coming weeks.