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Diwali–Chhath travel: Car-pooling way to go as train seats go scarce, bus fares soar
Thousands of migrants from UP and Bihar are pooling cars, SUVs and opting online car-pooling services to reach home, making expressways the new festive lifeline.
With all trains, including special festive ones, running out of seats and flight fares beyond the reach of most, thousands of people working across Uttar Pradesh are hitting the road this Diwali–Chhath season. Pooling cars and SUVs with friends or colleagues, and booking cars through online car pooling App services has emerged as the most practical and affordable alternative for many who are desperate to reach their hometowns in Bihar and eastern UP.
The growing network of expressways, including the Purvanchal, Agra–Lucknow, and Bundelkhand Expressways, has made road travel faster, safer, and more reliable encouraging many to ditch trains and buses for shared road journeys. Coupled with digital platforms like BlaBlaCar, QuickRide, and social media groups, travellers can now find co-passengers heading the same way within hours, turning long-distance travel into an affordable and social experience.
Over the past few days, long convoys of private vehicles can be seen heading eastwards along the Purvanchal Expressway and other arterial highways connecting Lucknow, Varanasi, and Gorakhpur to Patna and other towns in Bihar. The surge comes as private bus fares have risen steeply—touching ₹3,500– ₹4,000 per seat on popular routes like Lucknow–Patna and Varanasi–Gaya—while trains remain overbooked weeks in advance.
The group travel trend has also gained momentum through digital car-pool apps and social media groups where people post and find travel partners heading in the same direction. “It is very easy to travel by road as apps like Bla-Bla help find partners and one can travel within ₹1000. It can even be booked a day before keeping us hassle free from booking 20 days ahead,” said Ravi Ranjan, travelling to Gorakhpur from Lucknow.
Friends car-pool to reach home
Ashish Adarsh, a resident of Bihar working with a central agro-based company in Lucknow, said the decision to drive home this time was out of compulsion rather than choice. “Every year, we travel home for Durga Puja and Chhath, and trains used to be convenient. But this year, tickets were unavailable even in special trains. With the Purvanchal Expressway, driving has become a comfortable and time-saving option,” he said. He will travel with four friends, sharing a car.
For many others, car-pooling is a matter of affordability. Vishwajeet Kumar from Varanasi, who works in Lucknow, said, “Bus fares are close to ₹4,000 per person. By pooling, we can travel in half that amount and reach home comfortably.”
Airfares to Lucknow skyrocket
In the annual pre-Diwali scramble to reach home, those trying to travel from major metros like Delhi and Mumbai to Lucknow are in quite a spot.
Airlines have quickly capitalised on the demand surge, hiking fares by as much as 500–700%.
As of now, a one-way flight from Delhi to Lucknow for October 18—a key travel date before the Diwali weekend—is being priced as high as ₹18,000, up from the usual ₹3,000. From Mumbai, fares are even steeper, nearing ₹24,000. Industry insiders warn that prices could climb another 15–20% in the coming week.
Why October 18 Matters:
Saturday, October 18 is expected to be the peak travel day, as it precedes Chhoti Diwali (Oct 19) and Diwali (Oct 20).
Thousands of students and working professionals are expected to return home that weekend, further intensifying demand across trains, flights, and even intercity buses.
