Diwali 2026 Train Tickets: Advance Booking Window Opens September 6 at 8 AM
Indian Railways opens Diwali 2026 advance booking on Sept 6, 8 AM. ARP is 60 days. Festival specials added on high-demand routes.
Passengers planning to travel by train during Diwali 2026 can start booking their tickets from tomorrow, September 6. The booking window will open at 8 AM, as per the national transporter's Advance Reservation Period (ARP) rules, which allow reservations 60 days before the date of journey, excluding the day of travel. Diwali will be celebrated on November 8 this year.
The Railways has advised passengers to book early to avoid last-minute rush and ensure a hassle-free journey. Advance reservation, it said, helps travellers plan better and secures a more comfortable trip.
High-demand routes typically see a surge in bookings during the festive season. These include Delhi-Patna, Patna-Ahmedabad, Patna-Udhna, Mumbai-Patna, Howrah-Patna, Bengaluru-Patna, Firozpur-Patna, Varanasi-Delhi, Kanpur-Delhi, Ludhiana-Supaul, Ludhiana-Patna, Chennai-Patna, Hyderabad-Patna and Delhi-Gorakhpur.
To manage the festive rush, the Railways has announced several festival special trains on various routes. Notable additions include the Mumbai Central–Katihar special (seven additional trips each way between September and November), the Kanpur Central–Guwahati special (14 additional trips each way from September to December), and the Katihar–Amritsar special (12 additional trips each way from September to November).
Other special services include the Dibrugarh–Kolkata special (13 additional trips each way), the Bhagalpur–Katihar daily special (extended for 94 trips each way until November 30), and reserved specials on routes such as Varanasi–Delhi, Ayodhya Cantt–Anand Vihar Terminal, Chandigarh–Patna, Firozpur Cantt–Patna, Anand Vihar Terminal–Jogbani, Anand Vihar Terminal–Muzaffarpur, Delhi–Sitamarhi, New Delhi–Kanpur Central, Anand Vihar Terminal–Kanpur Central, Barauni–New Delhi, and Darbhanga–New Delhi.