Diwali 2026 Train Ticket Bookings Begin: Check Reservation Dates, Festival Special Trains & More

Diwali 2026 Train Ticket Bookings Begin: Check Reservation Dates, Festival Special Trains & More

As the festive season is just a few weeks away, already the preparations for the most-awaited Ganesh Chaturthi, Dussehra and Diwali festivals have begun in the city. As these festivals bring along the long weekends, most of them also travel to their home towns to celebrate the festivals with their parents.

On the other hand, our IRCTC have already released the train reservation bookings quota for Ganesh Chaturthi and Dussehra festivals a couple of months ago. And now it’s time to check out the bookings quota for special train details of Diwali festival.

Although Diwali is still a few weeks away, the festive travel rush has already begun. Railway passengers planning to head home for the festival can now start booking their tickets, as reservations for Diwali 2026 journeys officially opened on September 6.

Diwali will be celebrated on November 8, 2026, and Indian Railways allows passengers to reserve tickets 60 days before the date of travel, excluding the journey day. As always, the booking window opens at 8 AM, making it important for travellers to plan ahead and secure their seats before trains fill up.

However, passengers should remember that the reservation date varies depending on the date of travel. Instead of assuming all Diwali tickets become available on the same day, it is advisable to check the booking date for your specific train and route.

Like every festive season, several railway routes are expected to witness huge demand this year. Trains connecting major cities with states such as Bihar, Uttar Pradesh and Punjab are likely to be booked quickly as thousands of passengers plan their Diwali trips.

Some of the busiest routes include Delhi–Patna, Mumbai–Patna, Bengaluru–Patna, Hyderabad–Patna, Chennai–Patna, Howrah–Patna, Patna–Ahmedabad, Patna–Udhna, Delhi–Gorakhpur, Varanasi–Delhi, Kanpur–Delhi, Ludhiana–Patna and Ludhiana–Supaul. Travellers on these routes are advised to keep an eye on reservation dates and book their tickets as soon as the booking window opens.

To manage the expected festive rush, Northern Railway has announced several Festival Special Trains on high-demand routes. According to reports, these additional services will connect major destinations across Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Punjab, Chandigarh and Maharashtra, giving passengers more travel options during the busy festive season.

The special services include trains connecting Varanasi-Delhi, Ayodhya Cantt-Anand Vihar, Chandigarh-Patna, Firozpur Cantt-Patna and Anand Vihar-Patliputra, among several other routes.

One of the key announcements is the 04209/04210 Varanasi-Delhi-Varanasi Festival Special Express, which will operate 50 trips during the festive season.

Train No. 04209 will depart Varanasi at 10:15 PM and reach Delhi at 1:45 PM the following day. The return service, 04210, will leave Delhi at 6:50 PM and arrive in Varanasi at 9:50 AM.

The train will run on select Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays from October 2 to November 27, while the return journey will operate on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays from October 3 to November 28.

Passengers can choose from AC 2 Tier, AC 3 Tier, Sleeper and General coaches. Another major addition is the 04213/04214 Ayodhya Cantt-Anand Vihar Festival Special, which is scheduled to complete 36 trips.

Train No. 04213 will leave Ayodhya Cantt at 6:20 PM and reach Anand Vihar at 6:10 AM the next morning. The return train, 04214, will depart Anand Vihar at 9:00 AM and arrive at Ayodhya Cantt at 10:00 PM.

The service will operate on selected dates between October 1 and November 30. Passengers travelling between Punjab, Chandigarh and Bihar will also benefit from extra services.

The 04511/04512 Chandigarh-Patna Special will run weekly with 18 trips, while the 04615/04616 Firozpur Cantt-Patna Special will complete 16 trips during the festive period. Both trains will halt at several important stations, including Ambala Cantt, Saharanpur, Roorkee, Moradabad, Bareilly, Shahjahanpur, Varanasi, Pt. Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Junction, Buxar, Ara and Danapur.

Other Festival Special Trains:

Northern Railway has also announced several additional Festival Special services, including:

New Delhi–Kanpur Central – 98 trips

Anand Vihar–Laukaha Bazar – 150 trips

Hazrat Nizamuddin–Dadar – 14 trips

Varanasi–Chandigarh – 36 trips

Anand Vihar–Jogbani – 10 trips

Anand Vihar–Muzaffarpur – 26 trips

Delhi Junction–Sitamarhi – 12 trips

Anand Vihar–Kanpur Central – 72 trips

Yog Nagari Rishikesh–Muzaffarpur – 18 trips

Anand Vihar–Patliputra – 120 trips

Before confirming your ticket, make sure to verify the train number, travel date, boarding station and destination. Passengers can also check train timings, berth availability and reservation status through the official Indian Railways booking platforms.

For railway-related assistance, passengers can contact RailMadad on 139 or use the NTES app for real-time train information.

With Diwali being one of the busiest travel seasons in India, tickets on popular routes are expected to sell out quickly. Those planning to travel during the festival should book their journeys as early as possible. If regular trains are fully booked, passengers can also explore the Festival Special Trains announced by Northern Railway, which are expected to ease the festive travel rush and offer additional seats to commuters.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Ravali Hymavati

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K. Ravali Hymavathi being born in Hyderabad holds a strong command in the content writing field. She always sticks to her principles and holds a passion for ‘Entertainment’ and ‘Lifestyle’ write-ups. She earlier worked for Eenadu’s ‘EeYuva’ and started working for Hans India from a couple of years…

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