North Bengal travel fares have risen sharply ahead of the Durga Puja holidays as confirmed train seats become difficult to secure, pushing passengers towards more expensive flights and buses from Kolkata.
According to information reported by Sanmarg – Kolkata, airfares on flights from Kolkata to Bagdogra have increased to between Rs 7,200 and Rs 8,500. Bus tickets to Siliguri, which usually cost around Rs 1,600 to Rs 2,000, are now selling for Rs 4,000 to Rs 4,500 during the festive travel period.
Anjani Dhanuka, regional president of the Travel Agents Association of India, provided the information on the fare movement. The report attributed the increase to rising demand for popular North Bengal destinations during the Puja holidays, along with limited availability of confirmed train tickets.
Airfares to Bagdogra have risen by more than 50 per cent, according to sources cited in the report. Bagdogra is the principal air gateway for travellers heading towards Siliguri and several tourist destinations in North Bengal. With trains unable to accommodate the seasonal demand, passengers who cannot obtain confirmed tickets are being forced to consider air or road travel.
The increase in bus fares has reduced the price gap between road and air travel. Buses are generally considered a more affordable option for reaching Siliguri, but the current fares mean that passengers who had planned their journeys around lower-cost transport are facing substantially higher expenses.
The pressure is particularly significant for families travelling during fixed school holidays or within leave periods set by employers. Travel agents told the publication that many passengers are unable to shift their journey dates, leaving them with limited options. Some families may shorten their trips, reduce spending on sightseeing and accommodation, or reconsider their travel plans altogether, according to the report.
The fare increase is also affecting people living in Mumbai, Delhi, Bengaluru, Hyderabad and Bhubaneswar who plan to return to Kolkata for Durga Puja. For these passengers, the difficulty of securing affordable onward or return travel adds another layer to the seasonal transport squeeze.
The situation highlights the dependence of festival travel on a limited number of transport corridors. When railway capacity is unavailable, demand moves rapidly to flights and buses, where fares can rise during peak periods. In this case, passengers travelling to North Bengal are facing higher costs across all three major options: rail, road and air.
The report did not provide details of any additional trains, fare restrictions or official intervention to address the shortage of seats. For travellers who have not booked in advance, the immediate choices remain paying the higher fares, changing travel dates, reducing the length of the trip or cancelling the journey.
