Travelling to one's hometown during the festive season is normal in India, though the mode of transport chosen remains the main question. Under similar circumstances, choosing a train over expensive flight tickets during the Diwali festive rush turned into a frustrating experience for a company CEO after the Mahakal Express was reportedly delayed by nearly eight hours.
The founder of Capital Quill and Vaibhav Jain Classes shared his experience on social media, questioning the management and punctuality of Indian Railways. Vaibhav Jain was travelling with his wife and two-year-old daughter from Indore, Madhya Pradesh, to his hometown, Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, aboard the Mahakal Express (20414).
With flight fares spiking during the festive season, the family decided to travel by train instead of spending heavily on air tickets. Sharing his experience on X while tagging the Ministry of Railways, Jain wrote, "This #Diwali we opted to travel to our home #Lucknow from #indore by train. Of course, one reason being flights being super expensive. So we booked our tickets by Mahakal Express (20414)."
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He explained that the family had also considered travelling by car but eventually chose the train, hoping to make the journey a memorable experience for their young daughter. "We had an alternative to drive by car, but thought it would be a good experience for our 2 year old daughter also to travel by train," he added.
CEO Questions Indian Railways Over Delay
The train reportedly ran 7.5 to eight hours behind schedule, and he pointed out that the original journey duration was approximately 14 hours. Jain expressed disappointment over the delay, as the journey did not go as planned. "But this is already running 7.5 hours late. And we are yet to reach our destination. In today's world, 8 hours delay is huge. Total journey time 14 hours and train late 8 hours," he wrote.
Questioning the railway system, he further said, "How is Indian #Railways thinking to compete with airlines? Complete management. Regretting the decision now."
This #Diwali we opted to travel to our home #Lucknow from #indore by train. Of course, one reason being flights being super expensive. So we booked our tickets by Mahakal Express (20414). We had an alternative to drive by car, but thought it would be a good experience for our 2 year old daughter also to travel by train. But this is already running 7.5 hours late. And we are yet to reach our destination. In today's world, 8 hours delay is huge. Total journey time 14 hours and train late 8 hours. How is Indian #Railways thinking to compete with airlines? Complete management Regretting the decision now. @RailMinIndia
— Vaibhav Jain, CFA, CMT (@vaibhavjain_vj) November 7, 2026
Social Media Reactions
The post triggered mixed reactions online. While several users sympathised with the family, others attributed delays to increased passenger and freight train traffic during the festive season, along with railway track congestion.
Some also pointed towards infrastructure expansion projects, including track doubling and tripling, as measures that could gradually ease congestion.
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