Mumbai: Passengers planning to travel home for Diwali and Chhath can now book train tickets. Indian Railways has also announced 20 festival special trains to manage the expected passenger rush.
Diwali will be celebrated on November 8 this year. Under the Advance Reservation Period, passengers can reserve tickets up to 60 days before their journey, excluding the travel date.
Booking Window Opens at 8 AM
Advance booking opens at 8 am. Demand is expected to remain particularly high on trains connecting Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Chennai and Hyderabad with Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Punjab and other states.
Busy routes include Delhi-Patna, Mumbai-Patna, Bengaluru-Patna, Chennai-Patna, Hyderabad-Patna, Delhi-Gorakhpur, Delhi-Sitamarhi, Firozpur-Patna and Chandigarh-Patna. Passengers should check availability as soon as the booking window opens.
Railways Announces Special Services
Northern Railway has announced special trains on 20 routes to provide additional connectivity during the festive season.
Major services include Mumbai Central-Katihar with 77 additional trips, Varanasi-New Delhi with 50 trips, Ayodhya Cantt-Anand Vihar with 36 trips and Chandigarh-Patna with 18 trips.
Other trains include Firozpur Cantt-Patna, Anand Vihar-Jogbani, Anand Vihar-Muzaffarpur, Delhi-Sitamarhi, New Delhi-Kanpur, Barauni-New Delhi, Darbhanga-New Delhi and Hazrat Nizamuddin-Dadar.
The Anand Vihar-Laukaha Bazar service will make 150 trips, while the Anand Vihar-Pataliputra train will operate 120 trips. New Delhi-Kanpur and Anand Vihar-Kanpur services will offer 98 and 72 trips, respectively.
Tips for Getting a Confirmed Ticket
Passengers should save travellers’ names, ages and berth preferences in the IRCTC Master List before booking begins. Logging in five minutes early can save valuable time.
Using the IRCTC Wallet or another fast payment option may help complete the transaction quickly. Passengers must carefully verify the train number, travel date, boarding station and destination before making payment.
Train schedules and availability can be checked through the NTES app. For railway services, complaints or travel-related assistance, passengers can contact the RailMadad helpline at 139.
