Special trains and extra coaches in existing trains to cater to the Puja rush don't seem to have helped as most trains passing through Tatanagar are either reporting no room or have long waiting lists of passengers.

Waiting lists for most long-distance mail and express trains bound for New Delhi and Mumbai during the Puja days (between October 8 and October 11) have already crossed the 100 mark, even as requests for bookings are still pouring in.

Officials at the computerised passenger reservation centre at Tatanagar said that reservation lists for Howrah-Mumbai Geetanjali Express, Puri-New Delhi Purushottam Superfast Express, Howrah-Ahmedabad Express, Howrah-Pune Azad Hind Express, Tata- Alleppey Express were already showing "no room" (booking not permitted) status for journeys between October 5 and 8.

Confirmed berths are also not available on Tata-Jammu Tawi Express, Mumbai Mail and Tata-Yesvantpur for journeys after October 1 till the end of Durga Puja. Moreover, waiting lists of Tata-Patna South Bihar Express have also crossed the 120 mark for journeys in the first week of October.

Notably, as Durga Puja draws near, there is a virtual scramble for railway tickets with many opting for a short holiday while others take the opportunity to visit hometowns and spend the time with family and relatives.

However, as things stand at present, long waiting lists and no room status seem to be the order of the day.

"There is no chance of a confirmed ticket on Purushottam Express for New Delhi as the waiting list is long. Bookings have ben stopped. I cannot take risk and wait for a tatkal ticket," said Ashwini Sharma, a junior accounts officer at a local private firm, who wanted to go to New Delhi.

Others thinking of travelling to, say, Mumbai, New Delhi and in the South are also faced with a similar dilemma as waiting lists keep growing longer and chances of a ticket getting confirmed looking bleak.

Officials at Garden Reach, Calcutta, the headquarters of South Eastern Railway (SER), said they had received requests for additional coaches in several long-distance trains. "Decisions have been taken. It will be notified soon. Additional coaches will help contain the rush," said an official.

Tatanagar station manager O. P Sharma said the rush for tickets had gained momentum. "It will continue till the festival gets over," he said.