zingbus Reports Over 100% Growth on Key Intercity Routes Amid Summer Travel Surge

India’s intercity travel market is witnessing a sharp rise in demand during the ongoing summer season, driven largely by younger travellers increasingly using weekends and long weekends for leisure and hometown trips.

Intercity mobility platform zingbus said it recorded more than 100 per cent year-on-year growth across several routes spanning North, South and West India, as demand for bus travel accelerated during the peak holiday season.

According to the company, the current travel cycle reflects a broader shift in consumer behaviour, with younger travellers opting for more frequent short-duration trips instead of limiting travel to annual holidays or festival periods. The trend has resulted in elevated travel demand beginning earlier in the season and remaining strong through the summer months.

The increase in passenger traffic has put pressure on multiple modes of intercity transportation. To manage the seasonal surge, Indian Railways has announced more than 18,000 special train trips between April and July 2026.

The company said rising airfares and limited availability across other transport modes are prompting more travellers to choose buses for journeys between 200 km and 600 km. It added that affordability, higher trip frequency, and point-to-point connectivity have contributed to the growing preference for buses during weekends and holiday periods.

While traditional leisure corridors in North India such as Delhi–Nainital and Delhi–Shimla recorded over 100 per cent growth, the company said the strongest acceleration in demand came from routes across South and West India.

Among the faster-growing intercity corridors identified by the company were routes connecting Goa, Kochi, Visakhapatnam, Kanyakumari, Madurai, Thanjavur and Tirupati.

The platform said it has increased bus frequency and expanded capacity across key corridors ahead of the summer season. The expansion includes routes linked to hill stations, leisure destinations and pilgrimage centres.

zingbus said its route planning and capacity deployment decisions are based on real-time booking trends and corridor-level demand patterns.

Founded as an intercity mobility platform, zingbus said it has served more than 3.5 million travellers across over 300 cities in more than 20 states. The company operates through partnerships with over 270 bus operators and said it has completed more than 10 million journeys to date.