In Pune, passengers traveling by train, especially during festivals, are concerned about the crowded and uncomfortable conditions that arise when additional general second class coaches are added. Arun Kumar Mishra, a senior citizen traveling from Pune to Darbhanga in Bihar, shared his experience of encountering unauthorized passengers occupying compartments meant for reserved ticket holders. Despite attempts to address the issue with the Train Ticket Examiner (TTE), it took a significant amount of time to resolve, with fines being collected instead of passengers being asked to disembark. Following Mishra's complaint to Rail Madad, the unauthorized passengers were finally removed at Ahmednagar. With the announcement of special trains by the Pune rail division for the upcoming festive season, passengers are worried about their reserved berths being taken by those with general tickets or none at all. The increase in the number of general second class coaches in these trains is expected to exacerbate this issue. The public relations officer of the Pune rail division highlighted the measures being taken to manage the rush, including ensuring the presence of ticket checking staff and security personnel. Unauthorized entry into reserved compartments by passengers without proper tickets has unfortunately become a common occurrence according to some travelers.Rajesh Doshi, a Pune resident and frequent train commuter, expressed concerns about the prevalence of ticketless travellers on the Sinhagad Express where he was recently travelling in a reserved compartment. Describing a situation where one individual pretended to be a railway employee to occupy a seat, Rajesh highlighted the inadequate management of the issue. Similarly, Sagar Jadhav recalled his experience on the Ahmedabad-Pune Duronto Express, where despite having a reserved seat in coach DL1, the coach was overcrowded with passengers, some even sitting on the floor.

Beyond the train compartments, overcrowding on platforms has also been a persistent issue for travellers. The Pune rail division officials announced plans in April of this year to address this by setting up temporary waiting sheds to accommodate passengers and improve crowd management. Passengers have lamented the station's lack of seating, minimal access to water, and insufficient waiting areas contributing to the overcrowding on platforms, raising concerns about the potential risks of stampedes.