Prayagraj : Residents of Sangam city planning to return home for Diwali are facing steep travel expenses, with airfares, train tickets and bus fares surging amid heavy festive demand.
Air travel has emerged as the most expensive option, with airlines increasing fares by four to six times for flights arriving in Prayagraj between Nov 3 and 6. A passenger travelling from Mumbai to Prayagraj may have to pay up to Rs 23,000, compared with around Rs 18,000 for a Dubai-Mumbai flight. The Delhi-Prayagraj fare, normally around Rs 6,000, has risen to Rs 16,338-17,456. From Bengaluru, fares have reached around Rs 17,000 and touched Rs 27,563 on Nov 5. Hyderabad-Prayagraj tickets cost Rs 22,572 on Nov 4 and Rs 23,380 on Nov 5, while fares from Bhubaneswar range from Rs 22,627 to Rs 25,290. Confirmed tickets on regular as well as special trains from Delhi and Mumbai have become scarce, with waiting lists crossing 100 in several trains.
Even premium services such as Vande Bharat and major express trains from Delhi have limited or no confirmed availability, leaving passengers dependent on Tatkal bookings. The absence of a direct flight from Pune has added to the difficulty for people working there. Rail travel, normally the preferred option for people travelling from major cities to Prayagraj, is also proving difficult. Road travel has become costlier too, particularly for passengers travelling from Delhi.