Thousands of passengers planning rail journeys homeward ahead of the Navaratri festival are facing a severe shortage of reservation seats. With no special trains announced so far and most regular services already sold out, many travelers are left scrambling for alternatives.Railway enquiry counters and online reservation portals are now showing “waiting list” or “reservation closed” for several trains connecting Kozhikode with major cities and States. In the absence of declared special services, the situation has worsened this week.“Despite the increased demand, railway authorities appear indifferent to the situation and unwilling to explore the possibility of introducing festival special trains to serve passengers in the Malabar region. Commuters are left in the lurch by the continuing uncertainty over additional services,” said P.N. Biju, member of the Confederation of Rail Passengers’ Association. He pointed out that promises made earlier to consider special services during the festival rush have repeatedly been ignored due to the casual approach to passengers’ concerns.Railway sources, however, cite logistical constraints such as rake availability, crew deployment, and track capacity, which they say may impede the declaration of special services. They added that no independent decisions on sanctioning special services can be taken without ministry-level discussions and approvals. A final decision on festival special trains, they said, is still awaited in view of the rising passenger demand.“With no assurance of services, many passengers are now turning to private operators for inter-State bus tickets. For many agencies, this has become an opportunity to exploit helpless passengers by charging special tariffs,” said Rinisha Sajith, a Kannur native working with an IT firm in Bengaluru. She said that several of her friends, unable to secure train tickets in advance, are now relying on private agencies for confirmed bus seats.According to members of the Rail Passengers’ Association, there are no reservation seats left on the popular Yeshwanthpur–Kannur and Kannur–Yeshwanthpur Express trains, which are among the most sought-after services between Kannur and Bengaluru during festival times. Trains between Kozhikode and Chennai, including the Chennai Mail, Egmore Express, and West Coast Express, are also fully booked, they said.Though a few services still show marginal availability, it is far from sufficient to meet the actual demand. Association members said that Tatkal booking is now the only remaining option, but it may not work for most passengers, further worsening the crisis.Published - September 27, 2025 06:58 pm IST