In Pune, train passengers, especially during festivals, are concerned about the overcrowding and discomfort caused by the addition of general second-class coaches. Arun Kumar Mishra, a senior citizen traveling from Pune to Darbhanga in Bihar, shared his experience of encountering ticketless and unauthorized travelers occupying sleeper class berths. He mentioned an incident where some passengers locked themselves in the toilet, causing inconvenience to others. Despite reporting the issue to the Train Ticket Examiner (TTE), Mishra felt the situation was not effectively handled as fines were collected instead of asking the unauthorized travelers to deboard. Following Mishra's complaint via Rail Madad, the unauthorized passengers were eventually removed at Ahmednagar. With the upcoming festive season, the Pune rail division is increasing the number of general second-class coaches in trains, leading to concerns among passengers with reserved tickets about unauthorized individuals taking over their berths. Recognizing this issue, railway authorities have heightened vigilance and deployed staff to ensure proper ticket checks and manage the rush efficiently. The practice of unauthorized passengers entering compartments has been noted by some travelers as a common occurrence.Rajesh Doshi, a resident of Pune and a frequent train commuter, expressed concern about encountering many ticketless travelers while recently traveling on the Sinhagad Express in a reserved compartment. He mentioned that one individual even pretended to be a railway employee to sit in a seat. Meanwhile, Sagar Jadhav, who traveled on the Ahmedabad-Pune Duronto Express last week, mentioned that despite having a reserved seat in coach DL1, the coach was overcrowded with people, some even sitting on the floor.

Apart from issues within trains, overcrowding on platforms has also been a problem for passengers. To address this, Pune rail division officials stated in April that they were considering setting up temporary waiting sheds on the premises to improve crowd management and prevent overcrowding on platforms. Passengers highlighted the inadequate seating arrangements, lack of water facilities, and absence of proper waiting areas at the station, leading to dangerously crowded platforms and the potential risk of stampedes.