Chandigarh to Delhi trains fully booked, flight fare soars 4-fold as farmers’ stir blocks roads

With road connectivity to Delhi still disrupted due to the ongoing farmers’ protest, people travelling from Chandigarh to the national capital and various Haryana cities are grappling with severe disruptions in transportation.
Amid commuters’ transition from road travel to trains, due to the ongoing road blockages since February 13, trains originating from Chandigarh are fully booked until February 25, creating unprecedented struggle for passengers dependent on the rail network for their daily commute or planned trips.
Compounding their travel woes, flight fares for Delhi have also surged four-fold from the routine ₹3,000- ₹4,000 range.
Seats on major superfast trains, including Shatabdi and Vandebharat Express, are fully booked until February 25. Only the afternoon Shatabdi (12046) has some seats available.
According to a Northern Railways official, “There is increased demand due to road blockages caused by the ongoing farmers’ protest. We are observing a notable surge in railway passengers, particularly on Shatabdi trains. Normally, Shatabdi trains don’t have seat availability for the next two days, but due to the current situation, the availability has significantly diminished.”
Travel turmoil amid road disruptions
Veenita Thakur, a traveller heading from Chandigarh to Delhi, shared at the Chandigarh railway station, “My daughter-in-law has given birth to a boy in Delhi. But I have been unable to meet them as the roads are blocked. So I came to catch a train. But unfortunately, there are no available seats. We also considered a cab, but the prices were exorbitant, and due to the road blockage, we preferred not to take any risks. Now, I’m on the waiting list and hoping to secure a seat.”
Adding to the passengers’ plight is the soaring cost of air travel. With the highways obstructed, more travellers are turning to flights also, leading to an exponential surge in airfare rates. Airlines have reported a four-fold increase in ticket prices, rendering air travel financially burdensome for many.
The usual cost of flights from Chandigarh to Delhi, ranging between ₹3,000 and ₹4,000 on regular days, has shot up to no less than ₹14,000. Vistara flights are priced at a minimum of ₹20,000, as indicated by booking websites.
Rahul Jain, who frequently travels from Chandigarh to Delhi for business, remarked, “The prices have been soaring for the past few days. I secured a seat on an Indigo flight for Thursday, but it cost me ₹14,550.”
A private travel agent in Chandigarh said, “We are receiving requests for both flight and train bookings. The flight prices are exceptionally high and there is a lack of seat availability in trains. People are asking us to arrange seats in trains through Tatkal quota and other means. The booking demand has notably surged in the past week.”
On February 13, responding to the call by the Kisan Mazdoor Morcha and the Samyukta Kisan Morcha (non-political), scores of farmers initiated a march toward the national capital, advocating for their demands, including a legal assurance for crop purchase at Minimum Support Price (MSP) and a farm loan waiver.
However, upon reaching the inter-state boundaries of Shambhu-Ambala and Khanauri-Jind, situated between Haryana and Punjab, they encountered security restrictions, preventing their entry into Haryana. Ever since, the national highway has remained blocked, and road traffic has been redirected from several points to navigate from Chandigarh to Ambala.
After five inconclusive meetings with the Union government, farmers made another attempt to move towards Delhi on Wednesday, but farmer leaders suspended the call for the next two days following the death of a young farmer at Khanauri border, allegedly due to a bullet injury.