Diwali 2026 Train Ticket Bookings Open – Dates, Routes & Special Festive Trains

Even though Diwali is still a couple of weeks away, the railway reservation system is already humming. On September 6, Indian Railways opened the 60‑day booking window for journeys that fall around the November 8, 2026 festival. If you’re planning to hop on a train, the safest bet is to log in early – the seats fill up faster than fireworks on the night of Lakshmi‑Puja.

How does the booking window work? In plain terms, you can start reserving a ticket 60 days before the date you intend to travel, but the day of travel itself doesn’t count. The portal opens each day at 8 a.m. sharp, and a handful of popular routes become available on different days. That means you can’t assume every Diwali‑related train will appear on the same calendar date – you’ll need to check the specific train number you want.

Why the rush? The festive season traditionally clogs some of the country’s busiest corridors. Think Delhi‑Patna, Mumbai‑Patna, Howrah‑Patna, Bengaluru‑Patna, Varanasi‑Delhi, Kanpur‑Delhi, Ludhiana‑Patna and many others. Travelers heading to Bihar, Uttar Pradesh or Punjab usually scramble for berths on these lines, so a booked ticket a week ahead can be a lifesaver.

To ease the pressure, Northern Railway has rolled out a suite of Festival Special Trains‑2026. These aren’t just the regular express services you see every day; they’re extra runs scheduled solely for the Diwali period, linking high‑traffic destinations across the north and east of the country.

One standout is the Varanasi‑Delhi special (train 04209/04210). It will make 50 trips between early October and late November, offering AC 2‑Tier, AC 3‑Tier, Sleeper and General coaches. The outbound departs Varanasi at 10:15 pm and reaches Delhi the next afternoon, while the return leaves Delhi at 6:50 pm and arrives back in Varanasi at 9:50 am.

Another busy link is Ayodhya Cantt‑Anand Vihar (train 04213/04214). With 36 trips on the roster, it leaves Ayodhya at 6:20 pm, touches Anand Vihar at 6:10 am, and makes the return journey at 9 am, arriving back at 10 pm. Both services run on specific weekdays, so double‑check the schedule before you click ‘Book’.

Punjab and Bihar travelers also get a boost. The Chandigarh‑Patna weekly special (04512/04511) will cover 18 trips, stopping at major junctions like Ambala, Roorkee and Varanasi. Likewise, the Firozpur‑Patna (04616/04615) train adds 16 extra runs, threading through Ludhiana, Saharanpur and Buxar among others.

Beyond these, Northern Railway lists a smorgasbord of other specials – New Delhi‑Kanpur (98 trips), Anand Vihar‑Laukaha Bazar (150 trips), Hazrat Nizamuddin‑Dadar (14 trips), Varanasi‑Chandigarh (36 trips) and several more that connect Anand Vihar with Jogbani, Muzaffarpur, Sitamarhi and Kanpur.

Before you settle the payment, take a moment to verify four key details: the train number, the exact date of travel, the boarding point and the destination. A tiny mistake can lock you out of the right coach or, worse, force you to re‑book at a higher fare.

In short, the mantra for Diwali travel this year is “book early, double‑check, and keep an eye on the special trains”. With the festival just around the corner, a little preparation now can spare you a lot of hassle later.