By Admin 
The problem of not getting tickets after deducting the money on IRCTC website is a problem, but it is not the root of the problem. Railways is bringing a new reservation system in August 2026 and the new IRCTC website is going to come by 15th July. This will improve the booking experience, reduce server crashes, but whether tickets will be available or not will be decided only when there are trains. In simple words, if there is no goods in a shop, then even if the shop remains open the whole day, the goods will not be available. IRCTC website is just a shop. The real problem is that there are less trains as per the population…
How will people of Bihar get tickets without trains?
The condition of passengers of Bihar is very bad. If you book tickets here even 1-2 months before the journey, there will be waiting room. Let’s take a look at some statistics:
- The waiting list for trains going to Bihar during Holi 2026 was more than 200. The waiting time in Rajendra Nagar Tejas Express and Purva Express was more than 200.
- In the summer season 2026, the waiting list for long distance trains running from Siwan Junction has crossed 150. Trains like Vaishali Superfast, Amrapali Express, Bihar Sampark Kranti Express and Awadh Assam Express were fully loaded.
- The waiting list in New Delhi-Prayagraj Vande Bharat had reached more than 260.
- During the wedding season, the waiting list on Jharkhand-Bihar route was also beyond 100.
How many passengers are left without tickets?
This is not just a problem of Bihar but of the entire country. According to IRCTC, there are 13,500 passenger trains for the country’s 145 crore population. That means on an average there are 0.93 trains for every 1 lakh people or approximately 1 train for every 1.07 lakh people.
In the financial year 2025-26, 3.39 crore passengers could not travel due to waiting tickets not being confirmed. This means that every day about 92,877 passengers could not catch their train. Every hour 3,870, every minute 64 and every second not more than one passenger gets a ticket. In the last five years this figure has increased from 1.65 crore to 3.39 crore.
Sleeper class passengers are in the most trouble. Last year, tickets of about 1.68 crore passengers were cancelled. These are the same people who are most dependent on trains, like migrant labourers, students and poor families.
How many trains does Bihar need and how many have it received?
According to IRCTC, Bihar has been allotted very less trains compared to its capacity:
- The population of Bihar is about 13 crores. Considering such a large population, the number of trains is very less.
- Every year more than 4 crore people migrate from Bihar to other states for work. But despite such large-scale migration, there are not enough trains.
- Only 10 new trains have been received on the Delhi-Patna route in the last 20 years. This means that in two decades, two governments have come and gone, but only 10 trains have been added on this very busy route.
How many trains has Bihar received?
According to railway data:
- In the financial years 2023-24 and 2024-25 (till October 2024), 30 pairs of trains originating or terminating from Bihar were started. These include 9 pairs of Vande Bharat and 1 pair of Amrit Bharat.
- 15 pairs of trains were expanded and the frequency of 2 pairs of trains was increased.
- In 2024, 13,523 special train trips were run during Holi and summer holidays.
- During Durga Puja, Diwali and Chhath, 7,990 special train trips were run, in which about 1.8 crore passengers traveled.
- In the last 5 years (2021-22 to 2025-26), 75 pairs of trains were started for the stations of Bihar.
- Amrit Bharat Express has 30 services across the country, out of which 26 run in Bihar.
- Already 14 Vande Bharat and 21 Amrit Bharat trains are running in Bihar.
But is this enough?
no way. In front of such a large population and such a huge migration, these trains are like a drop:
- During Holi 2026, the waiting list even on special trains was more than 100.
- During Chhath Puja, political leaders also raised the issue of shortage of trains.
- Due to shortage of trains during Bihar Police recruitment examination, violence also took place at Patliputra station. The candidates pelted stones and blocked the tracks.
According to the shortest journey in the country, less trains in big states
This is not just the problem of Bihar. The density of railways in India is very unbalanced:
- There are 42.45 km railway lines per 1 lakh population in Gujarat.
- There are only 8.22 km of railway lines per 1 lakh population in Karnataka.
- In densely populated states like Bihar, this figure may be even lower.
Indian Railways runs about 25,000 trains daily, which includes 13,000 passenger trains. Railways carried 741 crore passengers in 2025-26. But despite such a large number, 3.39 crore people remained without tickets. This means that no matter how many trains the Railways has run, the demand is much more.
Will the problem of ticket shortage end?
Experts believe – No. At least not in the next few years. There are 4 big reasons for this:
- Population and migration: Out of the 13 crore population of Bihar, 4 crore people migrate every year. This means that every year such a large population has to be transported in trains. The population of Bihar alone is more than that of many countries, but the trains are not according to that.
- Increase in waiting list: In 2021-22, 1.65 crore people could not travel due to waiting. This figure will increase to 3.39 crore in 2025-26. That means every year this number is increasing, not decreasing.
- No difference due to IRCTC’s change: IRCTC’s new website and new ticket cancellation rules will improve the booking experience, but will not increase the number of trains. Under the new rules of ticket cancellation, no refund will be given if the ticket is canceled within 8 hours of departure. With this, people will book thoughtfully, but the shortage of tickets will not reduce.
- Infrastructure Limit: It takes time to create new trains, new lines and new coaches. Even though 1,024 new trains have been started in the last 5 years, the demand is increasing so fast that it is not enough.
This is not a technical problem, it is a capacity problem.
No matter how fast the IRCTC website becomes, no matter how easy the captcha becomes, no matter how strong the servers become, until the number of trains increases, tickets will not be available. Bihar needs:
- long distance trains
- More coaches in existing trains
- More special trains according to festivals and seasons
- New rail lines and better connectivity
Railways has allocated Rs 10,379 crore for Bihar in the 2026 budget and work is underway to make 17,000 non-AC coaches. There are also plans for Bullet Train and 14 Vande Bharat trains in Bihar. But all these things will happen tomorrow, not today.