Diwali Train Ticket Booking 2026: The train ticket booking for Diwali 2026 is set to begin tomorrow, September 6. This year, Diwali will be celebrated on November 8. As per Indian Railways’ reservation rules, the Advance Reservation Period (ARP) for train tickets opens 60 days before the date of journey, excluding the date of travel. The ticket booking will start at 8 AM.

In a statement, the national transporter urged passengers to book their tickets in advance and enjoy a hassle-free journey. It said advance reservation helps passengers plan their travel better and ensures a more comfortable journey.

“Diwali Advance Reservation Begins! Book your tickets from 6 September. Plan your journey early and avoid the last-minute rush,” it said.

Some of the busiest routes that usually see high demand for train tickets during the festive season 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, among others.

Festival special trains 2026

The Railways has also announced several festival special trains on various routes to provide passengers with additional travel options and ensure smooth movement during the upcoming festive season.

• Train No. 09189 (Mumbai Central–Katihar) Festival Special will operate for seven additional trips on September 5 and 12; October 17, 24 and 31; and November 7 and 14, 2026. In the return direction, Train No. 09190 (Katihar–Mumbai Central) Festival Special will operate for seven additional trips on September 8 and 15; October 20 and 27; and November 3, 10 and 17, 2026.
• Train No. 04127 (Kanpur Central–Guwahati) Special will operate for 14 additional trips from September 10 to December 10, 2026. In the return direction, Train No. 04128 (Guwahati–Kanpur Central) Special will operate for 14 additional trips from September 11 to December 11, 2026.
• Train no. 05736 (Katihar–Amritsar) Festival Special will run for 12 additional trips from 09th September to 25th November 2026. In the return direction, train no. 05735 (Amritsar-Katihar) Festival Special will run for 12 additional trips from 11th September to 27th November 2026.
• Train no. 05932 (Dibrugarh- Kolkata) Festival Special will run for 13 additional trips from 05th September to 28th November 2026. In the return direction, train no. 05931 (Kolkata – Dibrugarh) Festival Special will run for 13 additional trips from 07th September to 30th November 2026. These trains will operate with a 22 nos of coach composition for the convenience of passengers.
• Train nos. 03407/03408 (Bhagalpur – Katihar- Bhagalpur) Festival Special will continue to operate daily. Their services have been extended for 94 trips each in both directions from 29th August to 30th November 2026.
• Train No. 04209/04210 Varanasi – Delhi -Varanasi Reserved Festival Special Express
• Train no. 04213/04214 Ayodhya Cantt– Anand Vihar Terminal-Ayodhya Cantt Reserved Bi-Weekly Festival Special
• Train no. 04512/04511 Chandigarh – Patna Jn. – Chandigarh Reserved Weekly Festival Special Express
• Train no. 04616/04615 Firozpur Cantt Jn. – Patna Jn. – Firozpur Cantt Jn. Reserved Weekly Festival Special Express
• Train no.  04008/04007 Anand Vihar Terminal – Jogbani – Anand Vihar Terminal Reserved Weekly Festival Special
• Train no. 04028/04027 AnandVihar Terminal- Muzaffarpurjn.-Anand Vihar Terminal Reserved Bi-Weekly Festival Special
• Train No.04010/04009 Delhi -Sitamarhi- Delhi Reserved weekly Festival Weekly Special
• Train No. 02456/02455: New Delhi–Kanpur Central–New Delhi Superfast Special
• Train No. 02458/02457: Anand Vihar Terminal–Kanpur Central–Anand Vihar Terminal Superfast Special
• Train No. 02563/02564: Barauni–New Delhi–Barauni Special
• Train No. 02569/02570: Darbhanga–New Delhi–Darbhanga Special