For millions of migrants returning to Bihar for the festivals of Diwali and Chhath, the journey home this year has proven difficult. Regular trains arriving from cities such as Delhi, Mumbai, Gujarat, and South India are completely full. Many trains have long waiting times, and some new bookings are closed.
Airfare costs reach between 25,000 and 35,000 rupees. Although buses remain an option, long distances and high ticket prices have increased passenger anxiety.
Diwali is celebrated on November 8th, and Chhath Puja will take place from November 13th to 16th. Millions of Bihar residents live in various cities like Delhi, Mumbai, Gujarat, and South India due to work and employment. Every year they return home with their families to celebrate the festival, but this time the journey to Bihar looks challenging. Seats on regular trains are unavailable, and express ticket agents charge significantly more than the nominal price, even for confirmed tickets.
Passengers who cannot secure confirmed train tickets are forced to consider air and bus travel options, but these modes of transport are also expensive. Air tickets for Patna and Darbhanga routes from different cities across the country exceed 25,000 rupees. Although flights from Delhi to Patna and Darbhanga are slightly cheaper than from other cities, they remain unaffordable for the average person. Furthermore, long-distance bus travel can cost thousands of rupees if the entire family travels.
On trains traveling from Delhi to Bihar, such as Sampoorna Kranti, Tejas Rajdhani, Magadh Express, and Amrit Bharat, seats are unavailable during the festive period. For instance, on the Tejas Rajdhani from New Delhi to Rajendra Nagar, the status 'Regret' persists from November 5th to 7th. Additionally, new bookings are not possible on the Magadh Express on November 5th, 6th, and 7th. The Amrit Bharat Express from Anand Vihar to Darbhanga shows long waiting times in the Sleeper class.
The situation is similar for trains from Mumbai to Bihar. On the LTT-Rajgir Express, the status 'Regret' is constantly displayed from November 5th to 10th. The LTT-Bhagalpur Express also shows no availability and waiting lists on several dates. Limited railway options also create difficulties for passengers traveling from Hyderabad to Danapur, making reliance on a single train risky.
When train tickets are unavailable, passengers turn to air travel, but during the festive season, airfares exceed the budget of ordinary people. One-way fares from Mumbai and Bangalore to Patna and Darbhanga have reached 25,000-26,000 rupees, and on some dates close to Chhath, they exceed 35,000 rupees. The same price range is observed on flights from cities in Maharashtra and Gujarat to Bihar.
Flights from Delhi to Patna between November 5th and 7th cost around 8,000–9,500 rupees, while flights from Hyderabad to Patna on some days exceed 23,000 rupees. This expense hits families traveling in groups of two or three the hardest. If a family of four travels from Mumbai or Bangalore by air to Bihar, the one-way trip alone can cost around 100,000 rupees or even more.
After trains and planes, buses are the third choice for passengers. However, this option is not always convenient for everyone. A bus journey of 1500–2000 kilometers or more from South India and Maharashtra to Bihar can be very tiring. Moreover, if a family of three or four travels, the total cost of the trip also reaches thousands of rupees.
The Bihar State Road Transport Corporation plans to launch about 200 special buses between November 5th and 20th in connection with Diwali and Chhath. Ticket sales for these buses have already begun. These buses will connect Bihar with Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, West Bengal, and Jharkhand.
For passengers, there are options for air-conditioned buses with seating, air-conditioned buses with sleeper berths, semi-sleeper, and non-air-conditioned buses. Nevertheless, for journeys from Maharashtra, Gujarat, and South India, private buses remain the only salvation, with the ticket price per person exceeding 3000 rupees. If traveling on state buses, transfers will be required, which will be very exhausting, and people try to avoid such trips with family.
The Bihar State Corporation offers a discount of over 30 percent on tickets for air-conditioned and sleeper buses. Tickets can be purchased on the official BSRTC corporation website. Additionally, the railways have organized special trains for passengers, considering the large number of people during the holidays. Special Puja Special trains run from stations in cities such as Chandigarh, Firozpur, Anand Vihar, Delhi, and Rishikesh, as well as from cities in Maharashtra, Gujarat, and South India to Bihar. However, not all passengers manage to get a ticket on these trains either.
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