Patna: For hundreds of passengers in Delhi planning to travel to Patna for Diwali, the festive journey is already proving to be a nightmare. Major Patna-bound trains showed “regret” status within 15 to 20 minutes of bookings opening for Nov 7, leaving passengers unable to secure even wait-listed tickets.Passengers said trains, including New Delhi-Rajendra Nagar Terminal Tejas Rajdhani Express, Sampoorna Kranti Express, Shramjeevi Express and Magadh Express ran out of available berths almost immediately, raising questions over how thousands of seats could be exhausted within minutes.“New Delhi-Rajendra Nagar Terminal Tejas Rajdhani Express, Sampoorna Kranti Express, Shramjeevi Express and Magadh Express all showed regret status within minutes. It is difficult to understand how thousands of seats can be booked so quickly,” said Ruchika, who works in an MNC in Delhi.Under railway rules, advance reservation opens 60 days before the journey. Passengers said Patna-bound trains had been showing “regret” from Nov 2, leaving them with few options.They pointed out that Rajdhani Express has around 750-800 berths, Sampoorna Kranti Express nearly 1,200, Shramjeevi Express around 944 and Magadh Express about 1,000. Yet, they said, the trains showed “regret” after around 300 wait-listed tickets.“Under the present system, it appears unfair that passengers are unable to get even wait-listed tickets within a few minutes of opening of booking. Tatkal booking is also not an option for everyone as it involves intense competition,” another passenger, Saurabh, said.Passengers also complained of glitches on the IRCTC website, saying it repeatedly displayed a heavy-load message from Monday midnight until around 10am. By the time the site became accessible, most trains had shown “regret”, passenger Summit said.A senior IRCTC official in New Delhi said the railways was struggling to cope with the rush for Bihar-bound trains, particularly during Diwali and Chhath.
