In Pune, passengers traveling by train, especially during festivals, are concerned about the overcrowding caused by the addition of general second-class coaches, which makes their journey uncomfortable. Arun Kumar Mishra, a senior citizen traveling from Pune to Darbhanga in Bihar, had his sleeper class compartment filled with ticketless passengers. Despite raising the issue with the Train Ticket Examiner (TTE), it took him 15 minutes to resolve the matter. Mishra had to report the incident to Rail Madad to have the unauthorized passengers removed at Ahmednagar. With the Pune rail division introducing more special trains for the upcoming festive season, passengers with reserved tickets are anxious about unwanted passengers occupying their seats. The division is increasing the number of general second-class coaches in all trains, allowing passengers with general tickets to access these compartments easily. The division has deployed ticket checkers, officers, inspectors, and Railway Protection Force (RPF) to manage the rush and ensure proper ticket verification. Unauthorized entry into compartments has unfortunately become a common occurrence for many passengers.Recently, Rajesh Doshi, a Pune resident and frequent train commuter, shared his experience of encountering several ticketless travellers in the reserved compartment of the Sinhagad Express. One of these individuals even pretended to be a railway employee to claim a seat. Doshi expressed concerns about the inadequate handling of this issue. Sagar Jadhav, who traveled on the Ahmedabad-Pune Duronto Express, also faced a similar situation where the coach he had a reservation for was overcrowded, with passengers even sitting on the floor.

Apart from overcrowding inside the trains, the issue of congestion on platforms has also been a significant problem for travelers. To address this, Pune rail division officials announced plans in April to establish temporary waiting sheds on the premises to enhance crowd management and prevent overcrowding on platforms. Passengers have highlighted the lack of seating, insufficient water facilities, and inadequate waiting areas at the station, leading to platforms becoming excessively crowded and posing a potential risk of stampedes.