Extra coaches are being attached to many trains to clear the rush. The number of computerised reservation counters have been increased. The facility of computerised reservation has been extended to Sabzi Mandi and Shakur Basti Stations for the summers, but the queues at the reservation counters at New Delhi, Delhi Main and Nizamuddin didn't show any signs of ending.

According to spokesperson, Northern Railways, Chandralekha Mukherjee, amongst other things they have taken ample care to prevent touts from procuring tickets. ``Every year we receive complaints about touts reserving tickets at the cost of genuine passengers. In order to check touts we have posted our staff at all the reservation centres who will be counter-signing and verifying the reservation slips in the queue,'' she said.

At the Central reservation office at New Delhi Railway Station the long queues did not seem to deter travellers, most of whom have holidays planned months in advance. There was a heavy rush, but the only welcome relief was that the touts were not visible because of posting of special staff, who were indeed countersigning reservation slips before they were accepted at the windows.

``I am planning to go with my family to Mumbai in June, but I am not sure I'll get a confirmed reservation even after standing in the queue for more than hour,'' said Pavan Goyal, a bank employee.

However, at the reservation office at the Hazrat Nizamuddin Railway Stations, the scene was more chaotic. ``I was standing in the line for more than two hours, but when my turn came they told me that that the line for freedom fighters is different so I can't get my reservation done here,'' said Ahsaan Ali, who had come to get reservation for his uncle. ``They should have increased the timings of the counter to clear the extra rush,'' said Harbhajan Singh a businessman.

Railway officials admitted that there was some problem with regard to the Nizamuddin Railway Station.

``We have very limited space there which leads to congestion. Moreover, our computers are linked to an all India network so we have to keep uniform timings at all our reservation centres,'' explained a railway official.