Festive rush begins, train seats fill up fast

BHUBANESWAR: Aniket Ganguly has been to Puri several times in the past, but never during Rath Yatra, let alone Nabakalebara. So the 34-year-old bank employee did not want to miss the opportunity this time.
“I planned my trip with my family (wife and son) to Puri well in advance, considering that there could be a rush. We booked our tickets and hotel room about three months ago,” the Kolkata resident said.
Aniket’s apprehension was prophetic. Those who have not made plans in advance to visit Puri and/or Bhubaneswar during Nabakalebara are in for a tough time. Airfares are rising and tickets are becoming increasingly tough to book.
“I come to my home town in Bhubaneswar very often. I don’t think I will go to Puri during Nabakalebara, but the rush prevented me from getting a seat,” said Suresh Patra, an industrial trainee with a firm in Kolkata, who was travelling to his home at Pokhariput in the city.
Trains to Bhubaneswar and Puri have started adding two to three coaches, and more in some cases, to accommodate as many people as possible.
“It is getting busy. We expect many more people to come next week, but we are prepared to meet the demand,” said N Pradhan, a superintendent at the Bhubaneswar railway station.
When TOI spoke with Jyoti Prakash Mishra, the chief public relations officer (CPRO), East Coast Railways, he said people have started coming in for Nabakalebara, but the rush was comparatively higher as it was a Friday, with the weekend ahead.
“We will be running 218 special trains to and from Puri from the morning of July 16 to the night of July 28. We expect the Nabakalebara rush to peak 16th onwards,” he said, adding that the schedule will be declared “at least four days” before the festival.