Delhi protest triggers travel squeeze: Amritsar-Delhi airfares jump as trains are cancelled

AMRITSAR: With train services to and from New Delhi and Hazrat Nizamuddin railway stations suspended for 10 hours on Saturday, airfares from Amritsar to Delhi have surged, with some tickets touching Rs 8,000 against the usual one-way fare of around Rs 4,000. The spike has left passengers with limited options to reach the national capital.The disruption comes ahead of the Cockroach Janata Party’s (CJP) planned protest in Delhi on October 10, seeking Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar’s resignation over alleged irregularities in the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, including claims of large-scale deletion of voters’ names.Indian Railways has cancelled train services scheduled to arrive at or depart from New Delhi and Hazrat Nizamuddin stations between 4am and 2pm on Saturday, citing anticipated road congestion around the two stations.The restrictions have particularly affected passengers with onward international connections, many of whom are being forced to turn to air travel to avoid missing their flights amid uncertainty over rail connectivity.“Those with onward travel plans, especially international flights, have limited choices and are having to buy expensive tickets to avoid further cancellations or missing their connections,” said Dalip, a travel agent. He said fares for morning flights had climbed to nearly Rs 8,000 from the usual one-way rate of around Rs 4,000.Ravi Sehgal of Sehgal Travels said airfares for October 10 were changing rapidly, with airlines releasing seats in limited batches of eight to 10. Depending on availability and departure time, some tickets were priced between Rs 7,000 and Rs 8,000, he said.An agent at Arora Travels said the average fare from Amritsar to Delhi had risen to between Rs 5,300 and Rs 5,800 following the railway restrictions. However, some airlines were charging substantially higher fares amid the sudden surge in demand.With passengers scrambling to secure seats, those needing to reach Delhi early on Saturday face the steepest fares. Travel agents said the combination of curtailed rail services and last-minute bookings had narrowed passengers’ options, particularly for those travelling abroad who could not risk missing connecting flights.You Can Also Check: Gold Rate in Amritsar | Silver Rate in Amritsar | Bank Holidays in Amritsar | Public Holidays in Amritsar | Petrol Price in Amritsar | Diesel Price in Amritsar | CNG Price in Amritsar | LPG Price in AmritsarStay updated with the latest Amritsar news. Download the TOI App.