Pune Railway Station has seen a sharp rise in the number of commuters using its local, DEMU (Diesel Electric Multiple Unit), and passenger train services in the last six months.
Compared to the same period last year, there has been an increase of 4.9 million passengers, with a total of 37.2 million people traveling during this time. This surge in passengers has resulted in an impressive revenue of ₹370 crores for the Central Railway.
Daily, around 200 trains operate from Pune Division, accommodating between 150,000 and 200,000 passengers. The relatively affordable ticket prices continue to attract more travelers to the railways, with an increasing number of commuters opting for local and passenger trains every day.
However, this growing demand has exposed the lack of adequate facilities, leaving commuters to struggle with overcrowded conditions on many trains.
While train services were partially disrupted during the two years of the COVID-19 pandemic, this year has seen a remarkable recovery in passenger numbers. The year 2023 saw a modest uptick, but the current year has witnessed an even greater rise in passengers traveling from Pune, resulting in increased revenue for the railways.
Pune Railway Station is particularly busy with passengers traveling to states like Bihar, West Bengal, Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, and Haryana.
Trains heading to Bihar and West Bengal are notoriously crowded throughout the year, leading to challenges such as stampedes or unreserved passengers entering reserved compartments.
This has caused significant inconvenience for those who had pre-booked their tickets, highlighting the urgent need to increase train services on these routes.
Efforts have already been made to introduce additional trains on some of the busiest routes, benefiting both passengers and the railway. The increase in the number of trains has also contributed to a significant rise in revenue, reinforcing the need for further capacity expansion to meet growing demand.
According to Dr. Milind Hirve, Senior Divisional Commercial Manager, “With the rise in passengers, additional trains have been introduced on several routes, benefiting both passengers and the railway, leading to increased revenue.”
