Diwali 2026 Special Trains: How I’d Book a Seat Home Before 8 November
Diwali falls on Sunday, 8 November this year. That gives most of us a little over three weeks to sort out the trip home, and if you have ever stood in a waiting list queue on IRCTC at 10 am, you know three weeks is not a lot.
The good news is that Indian Railways has been adding trains. As of 13 October, the Railways had notified 8,454 festival special trips for Durga Puja, Diwali and Chhath, according to an Indian Express report quoting the Ministry of Railways (updated 14 October 2026). On top of that, it plans about 3.4 lakh regular train trips between 1 October and 30 November, up from about 3.3 lakh last year.
So the seats exist. The trick is finding them before everyone else does. Here is how I would go about it this week.
What has been announced so far
The specials are spread across zones, so there is no single list. These are the ones that caught my eye, with the source for each.
Delhi to Patna Vande Bharat Festival Special. A 16 coach Vande Bharat (02252/02251) runs between New Delhi and Patna from 16 October 2026, with 18 trips in each direction, as both NDTV and the Indian Express report. It goes via Aligarh, Kanpur Central, Prayagraj, Pt Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Junction, Buxar and Ara, and takes about 12 hours 55 minutes. NDTV reports fares of Rs 2,615 for AC Chair Car and Rs 4,695 for Executive Chair Car, quoting the East Central Railway CPRO, so check the live fare on IRCTC before you book. From New Delhi it leaves at 8:35 am and reaches Patna at 9:30 pm. After runs on 16 and 18 October, it operates Mondays, Wednesdays and Saturdays from 21 October to 25 November. The return leaves Patna at 10 am on 17 and 19 October, then Tuesdays, Thursdays and Sundays from 22 October to 26 November.
Central Railway, from Mumbai. Central Railway has announced 418 special services for the season, the Indian Express reports. A few examples:
- CSMT Mumbai to SMVT Bengaluru AC special (01013), every Saturday from 10 October to 21 November, returning (01014) on Sundays.
- CSMT to Nagpur superfast special (02139), every Saturday from 17 October to 21 November, returning (02140) on Sundays.
- CSMT to Latur (01105/01106), twice a week from 13 October to 24 November.
Northern Railway. Festive specials on busy corridors such as Varanasi to Delhi, Ayodhya Cantt to Anand Vihar, Chandigarh to Patna and Firozpur Cantt to Patna, according to NDTV Travel.
South. CNBC TV18 lists the Thiruvananthapuram North to Santragachi special (06081/06082), with its remaining outbound runs on 16, 23 and 30 October, and a Secunderabad to Kakinada Town weekly service running until 26 November.
Timings and numbers do change, so treat this as a starting point. Special train numbers and timings can change at short notice, so always confirm the train number, date and stops on IRCTC or NTES (or the RailOne app) before you pay.
Why I’d book this week, not next
Most people plan their Diwali trip around the weekend just before the festival. That is exactly when the waiting lists are longest. The specials help, but they fill up too, and the popular routes to Bihar and Uttar Pradesh go first. NDTV’s report on the Vande Bharat special says it was added because of long waiting lists on regular trains on these routes.
If your dates are flexible, a weekday departure a few days earlier is usually far easier than a Friday night train. Coming back is often harder than going, so I’d lock the return the same day you book the onward leg.
My booking checklist
This is what I keep open on my phone when I book festival travel:
- Fix your dates first. Decide the latest day you can leave and the earliest day you can return. Write both down.
- Search the special, not only your usual train. Special trains have their own numbers, often starting with 0. Search by station pair on IRCTC or RailOne and look at every result for your date.
- Check nearby stations. Anand Vihar instead of New Delhi, or SMVT Bengaluru instead of KSR. A different terminal can mean a confirmed seat.
- Keep IRCTC logged in and your master passenger list ready. Names, ages and ID details saved in advance shave off precious seconds.
- Have a backup class. If 3A is full, check AC Chair Car on a day train or Sleeper. A confirmed lower class beats a waitlisted higher one.
- Book the return immediately. Do not wait to “see how it goes”.
- Screenshot your ticket and PNR. Mobile data at a crowded station is never reliable.
Travelling with kids during the rush
Festival trains are full, loud and happy. With children, a little prep makes them much easier.
Pick a train that leaves in the morning or early evening, so little ones are not woken at 2 am for a platform change. Ask for lower berths while booking, and pack one small bag that holds snacks, water, a change of clothes and a charged power bank. Reach the station early. On festival days the crowd at entry gates and foot overbridges can slow you down by a lot.
Keep a printed or saved copy of every child’s age proof handy if you booked a fare that depends on age. And agree on a meeting point on the platform in case anyone gets separated in the crowd.
Safety and scams to watch for
Every festive season brings fake ticket sellers. Book only on IRCTC, the RailOne app or at a railway reservation counter, as the Railways itself advises. Ignore social media posts and WhatsApp forwards offering “confirmed tatkal” for extra money.
On the train, keep valuables close, and do not accept food from strangers. If you need help on board, the Railways helpline 139 is the number to remember.
What I’m doing next
I’m checking the special train list for my route every evening this week, because zones keep adding services as demand builds. The Ministry figure moved past 8,000 special trips only in the last few days, and more trains could still be notified before 8 November.
If your route has no special yet, set a reminder and check again in two days. And if you find a confirmed seat today, book it. A slightly odd departure time is a small price for a calm trip home for Diwali.
Happy travels, and an early Happy Diwali from me.
Deepu
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