Christmas travel woes: Passengers suspect fraud in rapid train ticket sell-outs

Chennai: Passengers have raised concerns of possible fraud in train ticket bookings for the Christmas holidays, after many were placed on waiting lists or received regret messages when trying to book online.

A passenger attempting to reserve a seat on the Chennai Central- Alleppey (Alappuzha) Express to Thrissur found themselves 120th on the waiting list just 2 minutes and 48 seconds after starting the booking process.

Tickets for trains to Kerala, including the Chennai Central–Thiruvananthapuram Mail, Chennai Central–Thiruvananthapuram Super Fast Express, and Chennai Central–Alappuzha Express, sold out almost immediately.

Passengers allege that fake travel agencies are using software to make bulk bookings at high speed, leaving genuine travellers unable to secure tickets. Many said they had never encountered a booking system where tickets were unavailable within two minutes.

Even those who queued at railway counters in the morning were unable to obtain tickets, while some travellers who approached agencies were successful. Several passengers have demanded an investigation into the sudden unavailability of seats on popular routes.

The Railway Protection Force (RPF) has frequently apprehended individuals using software to book tickets in bulk, but officials admit the problem persists. Southern Kerala routes remain particularly crowded, with Tatkal tickets reportedly booked within one to two minutes. Passengers said that only special trains currently offer any relief.