IRCTC Booking Glitches Frustrate Festive Travellers as Railways Adds Bihar Specials

Booking troubles mar festive rush

Passengers trying to reserve train tickets for the Diwali and Chhath Puja season have taken to social media to report repeated failures on the Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) platform, particularly for journeys to Bihar.

Several users said the site or app displayed a "regret" message or a "high system load" error when they attempted to book. One traveller, addressing Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw on X, said the app crashes every year when bookings open two months ahead of the festivals. Another asked the minister to clarify the difficulties passengers are facing, especially on Bihar routes.

A check of the IRCTC app around 8 am on Sunday, September 13, for Bihar-bound trains around November 12 showed "regret" messages on most sections. On some trains, waiting lists crossed 100 and even 200 in certain classes.

Why the 8 am scramble

Indian Railways opens regular bookings 60 days before the date of journey under the Advance Reservation Period (ARP). For a November 12 journey, reservations begin at 8 am. Even logging in at that hour did not guarantee success for many users.

One user complained that the system kept showing "Error" or "High System Load" from 8 am. Another questioned how ordinary passengers would get home if "regret" appears minutes after booking opens, arguing that festival trains are a necessity rather than a VIP facility. A third said the site stayed busy until 8:12 am and worked only intermittently after tickets had sold out.

Special trains to Bihar

To ease the festive rush, Indian Railways is running special trains from several major cities, including Delhi, to key stations in Bihar. These services will operate between September 16 and November 30.

The East Central Railway released the full schedule of 16 festival special trains on September 9. Some will run weekly, others biweekly, and a few daily. The trains will connect more than ten cities — among them Delhi, Chandigarh, Firozpur Cantt and Rishikesh — with destinations in Bihar. Delhi-to-Bihar travellers have the widest choice, with services planned on the Patna Junction, Patliputra Junction, Muzaffarpur and Jogbani routes.

Key schedules

• A Delhi–Sitamarhi special will run on Thursdays from October 15 to November 19, with the return trip on Saturdays from October 17 to November 21.
• A Rishikesh–Muzaffarpur service will operate on Sundays from October 4 to November 29; the return will run on Mondays from October 5 to November 30.
• The Chandigarh–Patna special will run on Thursdays from October 1 to November 26, and the return on Fridays from October 2 to November 27.
• A Firozpur Cantt–Patna train is scheduled on Tuesdays from October 6 to November 24, with the return on Wednesdays from October 7 to November 25.
• The Anand Vihar–Jogbani special will run on Saturdays from October 10 to November 7; the return will operate on Sundays from October 11 to November 8.
• Anand Vihar–Muzaffarpur services will run on Tuesdays and Fridays from October 13 to November 24, with returns on Wednesdays and Saturdays from October 14 to November 25.
• A daily Anand Vihar–Patliputra train will run from October 1 to November 29, and the return daily from October 2 to November 30.
• Daily services between Anand Vihar and Laukha Bazaar will run from September 16 to November 29, with the return from September 17 to November 30.

Northern Railways has also announced festival special trains for the season.