With summer vacations in full swing, railway stations across Ahmedabad and other parts of Gujarat are witnessing heavy passenger traffic as tourists, migrant families and religious travellers crowd long-distance trains. Despite Western Railway introducing several summer special services, confirmed tickets remain difficult to obtain on many major routes, with waiting lists ranging from 50 to more than 200 passengers.
Railway officials said the seasonal rush has sharply increased demand on routes connecting Gujarat with Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, West Bengal and southern states. Major stations including Ahmedabad, Sabarmati, Asarwa and Gandhidham have been witnessing heavy crowds since the beginning of the vacation season.
29 Summer Special Trains Under Ahmedabad Division
According to railway authorities, 29 summer special trains are currently being operated under the Ahmedabad division to handle the additional passenger load. So far, these trains have completed 85 trips, while another 123 trips are scheduled till the end of July.
Earlier, Indian Railways had announced 18,262 summer special trips nationwide between April 15 and July 15 to manage the annual holiday rush.
Special train services have been introduced from stations including Ahmedabad, Sabarmati, Vatva, Asarwa, Gandhidham, Bhavnagar, Udhna and Valsad.
Major Summer Special Routes
Some of the key routes currently in operation include:
- Ahmedabad–Mumbai Superfast Special
- Asarwa–Agra Cantt
- Asarwa–Kanpur Central
- Sabarmati–Durgapur
- Sabarmati–Asansol
- Udhna–Santragachi
Officials said 10 long-distance weekly summer special trains under the Ahmedabad division will continue operating till the end of July, while 17 trains have already completed their scheduled services.
Routes Where Summer Special Services Have Ended
Railways has discontinued summer special operations on several routes after completion of scheduled trips. These include:
- Sabarmati–Asansol
- Gandhidham–Malda Town
- Ahmedabad–Patna Junction Weekly
- Sabarmati–Darbhanga
- Bhuj–Kolkata
- Vatva–Howrah Junction
- Sabarmati–Howrah Junction
- Sabarmati–Shakurbasti
- Asarwa–Shakurbasti
Summer Special Trains Still Running from Gujarat
Several weekly summer special trains from Gujarat stations remain operational and will continue till the end of July, including:
- Ahmedabad–Mangaluru Junction Weekly
- Ahmedabad–Darbhanga Weekly
- Ahmedabad–Mumbai Central Weekly
- Ahmedabad–Chennai Central Weekly
- Vatva–Mumbai Central Weekly
- Sabarmati–Sultanpur Weekly
- Sabarmati–Haridwar Weekly
- Asarwa–Kanpur Weekly
- Gandhidham–Bandra Terminus Weekly
- Gandhidham–Bhagalpur Weekly
Waiting Lists Continue to Rise
Despite the additional services, passengers are still struggling to secure confirmed berths, especially on long-distance and holiday routes. Railway officials said waiting lists on several trains have crossed 100 passengers and, in some cases, touched nearly 200.
Passengers are now hoping that Indian Railways will announce more special trains or attach extra coaches in the coming weeks as the peak summer travel season continues.