India has seen a record 411 million train passengers in April, as people rush to vote, attend Hindu weddings

India, where trains are vital transport for the lower class, saw a record 411 million passengers ride the country’s railways in the first three weeks of April

The recent surge of passengers is due to ongoing national elections and a cluster of astrologically auspicious dates, typically used for Hindu weddings

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Indian commuters get off trains at the Church Gate railway station in Mumbai, India. The country saw a record 411 million passengers in the first three weeks in April. Photo: AP

Published: 7:24pm, 25 Apr 2024Updated: 7:27pm, 25 Apr 2024

While India is infamous for its jam-packed trains, things were worse than usual the first three weeks in April, which saw a record 411 million passengers riding the country’s railways for the time period, a surge attributed to both the ongoing national elections and a cluster of astrologically auspicious dates.

By comparison, that same period in April last year saw 370 million train passengers. During the peak surge from April 20-21, Indian Railways (IR) serviced 33.8 million passengers across the 14,300 trains it operates daily.

The surge saw passengers crammed into every square centimetre of some train carriages, from the corridors to the luggage racks and even in the toilets.

We were squeezed so tight that I clambered up onto the luggage rack and laid down on that. I had to get there no matter what because I had bought my niece’s wedding jeweller

Sameer Verma, train passenger

April tends to see numerous weddings, as Hindus fix their nuptial dates based on what astrologers predict will be “auspicious” days. The period from April to early June usually has many such dates.

However, this year’s predicted auspicious days were far fewer than usual in April and extend only to early May, meaning many more people had to travel to weddings across a smaller number of days.

Sameer Verma, a vegetable and fruit vendor in south Delhi, travelled to the city of Ranchi on April 6 for his niece’s wedding without a reserved ticket. No seats were available on the Sampark Kranti Express, so he jumped into a general coach carriage, where people without a reservation can travel.

“There was no space to breathe or move my elbow. We were squeezed so tight that I clambered up onto the luggage rack and laid down on that. I had to get there no matter what because I had bought my niece’s wedding jewellery,” he told This Week in Asia.