Diwali Special Train 2026: Booking Dates, Routes & List

🔔 Travelling home for Diwali 2026? Check confirmed festival seats and smart split routes on high-demand corridors: Delhi ➔ Patna (NDLS to PNBE), Mumbai ➔ Danapur (MMCT to DNR), Pune ➔ Danapur (PUNE to DNR), Surat ➔ Patna (ST to PNBE), Bengaluru ➔ Danapur (SBC to DNR), or find guaranteed split journeys on Get Confirmed Tickets.

TL;DR

Diwali 2026 festivities run from Dhanteras on November 6 to Bhai Dooj on November 10, with the main Lakshmi Puja falling on Sunday, November 8. General 60-day train bookings opened at 8:00 AM IST in early September, and premier trains reached REGRET within minutes. To secure confirmed travel, book 0-series festival special trains announced 10 to 30 days prior to departure, find contiguous split-berths on Smart Seats, or book remaining unallocated berths via Get Confirmed Tickets four hours before departure.

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What are the key Diwali 2026 dates and festival travel schedules?

Diwali 2026 festivities span five days from November 6 to November 10, 2026, with the main Lakshmi Puja on Sunday, November 8. Outbound travel from metro hubs peaks between November 5 and November 7, while return travel merges into the post-Chhath rush from November 16 to November 22.

The five primary days of Diwali set the nationwide passenger surge across Indian Railways:

• Day 1: Dhanteras (Friday, November 6, 2026). Heavy departures start on Thursday evening as professionals and students begin travelling home.
• Day 2: Choti Diwali / Naraka Chaturdashi (Saturday, November 7, 2026). Peak intercity and regional travel window before the main festival.
• Day 3: Diwali / Lakshmi Puja (Sunday, November 8, 2026). The central festival day. Most passengers aim to reach their destinations by morning.
• Day 4: Govardhan Puja / Annakut (Monday, November 9, 2026). Regional celebrations across northern, western, and central states.
• Day 5: Bhai Dooj / Yama Dwitiya (Tuesday, November 10, 2026). Concludes the Diwali calendar, transitioning immediately into the four-day Chhath Puja rush.

Because millions of passengers travel home simultaneously, trunk routes connecting Delhi, Mumbai, Pune, Gujarat, and Bengaluru to Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, and West Bengal face acute seat shortages.

Diwali Festival Milestone	Calendar Date (2026)	Target Arrival Date	Booking Window (60-Day ARP)
Early Festive Departure	November 5, 2026 (Thursday)	November 5, 2026	September 6, 2026
Day 1: Dhanteras	November 6, 2026 (Friday)	November 5–6, 2026	September 7, 2026
Day 2: Choti Diwali	November 7, 2026 (Saturday)	November 6–7, 2026	September 8, 2026
Day 3: Diwali (Lakshmi Puja)	November 8, 2026 (Sunday)	November 7–8, 2026	September 9, 2026
Day 4: Govardhan Puja	November 9, 2026 (Monday)	November 8–9, 2026	September 10, 2026
Day 5: Bhai Dooj	November 10, 2026 (Tuesday)	November 9–10, 2026	September 11, 2026
Pre-Chhath Travel Wave	November 11–12, 2026	November 11–12, 2026	September 12–13, 2026
Post-Festival Return Peak	November 16–22, 2026	Return to Metros	September 17–23, 2026

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When do Diwali special train bookings open on IRCTC?

Diwali special train bookings open in two operational stages: planned seasonal specials open 60 days ahead at 8:00 AM IST, while supplementary 0-series specials open 10 to 30 days prior to departure. Supplementary special trains are notified by zonal railways through press releases and uploaded to IRCTC within 24 to 48 hours.

Premier regular trains like the Sampoorna Kranti Express, Bihar Sampark Kranti, Magadh Express, Purushottam Express, Shiv Ganga Express, and Vikramshila Express exhaust their general quotas within seconds of the 60-day reservation opening.

Indian Railways introduces over 1,000 festival special trips across Northern Railway (NR), East Central Railway (ECR), Western Railway (WR), Central Railway (CR), and South Western Railway (SWR) under three distinct schedules:

1. Scheduled Festival Specials: These follow the standard 60-day Advance Reservation Period (ARP). Bookings open at 8:00 AM IST on IRCTC and PRS station reservation counters.
2. Supplementary 0-Series Specials: These operate on temporary paths notified between September and October. Bookings open 10 to 30 days prior to departure once rake compositions are finalized in the Passenger Reservation System.
3. Emergency Standby Clones: When waitlists cross manageable thresholds, zonal authorities deploy standby rakes on major trunk lines (such as Delhi to Patna or Mumbai to Gorakhpur), opening reservations 24 to 48 hours before departure.

To secure seats on supplementary specials, check zonal announcements regularly, maintain a pre-filled IRCTC Passenger Master List, and authenticate your IRCTC profile with Aadhaar to enable higher monthly booking limits.

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Which routes and special trains are running for Diwali 2026?

Diwali special trains operate on high-density corridors connecting major industrial cities like Delhi, Mumbai, Pune, Surat, Ahmedabad, and Bengaluru with eastern destinations including Patna, Danapur, Darbhanga, Saharsa, Gorakhpur, and Kolkata. Most special trains carry a 0-series train number.

These festival services run with customized rake compositions featuring AC 2-Tier, AC 3-Tier, AC 3-Tier Economy (3E), Sleeper (SL), and unreserved General Second Class (GS) coaches.

The table below outlines the primary 0-series Diwali special services operating across key corridors:

Origin Station	Destination Station	Special Train Numbers	Operating Frequency	Key Intermediate Halts
Anand Vihar / New Delhi	Patna Jn	04078 / 04077	4 to 6 days weekly	Kanpur Central, Prayagraj, Pt. DD Upadhyaya, Buxar, Ara
New Delhi	Darbhanga Jn	04068 / 04067	3 to 4 days weekly	Moradabad, Bareilly, Lucknow, Gorakhpur, Sitamarhi
Anand Vihar	Saharsa Jn	04010 / 04009	2 to 3 days weekly	Moradabad, Bareilly, Gorakhpur, Chhapra, Muzaffarpur
Anand Vihar	Muzaffarpur Jn	04044 / 04043	2 to 3 days weekly	Moradabad, Chandausi, Lucknow, Gorakhpur, Hajipur
New Delhi	Gorakhpur Jn	04494 / 04493	4 to 5 days weekly	Ghaziabad, Moradabad, Bareilly, Sitapur, Gonda, Basti
Mumbai CSMT / LTT	Danapur	01061 / 01062	Daily during rush	Kalyan, Bhusaval, Itarsi, Jabalpur, Prayagraj Chheoki, DDU
LTT Mumbai	Gorakhpur Jn	01079 / 01080	3 days weekly	Thane, Nashik Road, Bhusaval, Jhansi, Kanpur Central, Lucknow
LTT Mumbai	Samastipur Jn	01043 / 01044	Weekly / Bi-weekly	Kalyan, Bhusaval, Itarsi, Jabalpur, Danapur, Barauni
Pune Jn	Danapur	01481 / 01482	3 days weekly	Daund Chord, Ahmednagar, Manmad, Bhusaval, Itarsi, Jabalpur
Surat / Udhna	Chhapra / Patna	09031 / 09032	2 to 3 days weekly	Nandurbar, Bhusaval, Itarsi, Katni, Satna, Prayagraj, Ballia
Ahmedabad	Patna / Danapur	09417 / 09418	Weekly	Vadodara, Ratlam, Kota, Agra Fort, Kanpur Central, DDU
Bengaluru (SMVB)	Danapur	06261 / 06262	Weekly	Katpadi, Vijayawada, Warangal, Balharshah, Nagpur, Itarsi
Bengaluru (SMVB)	Howrah Jn	06585 / 06586	Weekly	Katpadi, Vijayawada, Visakhapatnam, Bhubaneswar, Kharagpur

⚡ Quick Seat Search by Route: Search Delhi ➔ Patna • Check Mumbai ➔ Danapur • Check Pune ➔ Danapur • Check Surat ➔ Patna • Check Bengaluru ➔ Danapur

For detailed timing profiles and stoppage tables, review our dedicated Delhi to Patna Train Schedule and Mumbai to Danapur Train Schedule route guides.

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How much extra fare do 0-series Diwali special trains charge?

0-series Diwali special trains charge Train on Special Fare (TOSF) rates, adding 10% on Second Sitting (2S) and 30% on Sleeper, 3E, 3A, and 2A base fares. These fixed surcharges cover empty rake repositioning and overtime operations, and all concession discounts are suspended.

Unlike Suvidha trains where ticket prices climb steeply in 20% slabs up to 3x base fare, standard 0-series festival special fares remain constant from the opening seat to the final reservation.

Commercial pricing rules governing festival special trains:

• Second Sitting (2S): Carries a 10% surcharge (approximately ₹10 to ₹25 additional per ticket).
• Sleeper Class (SL): Subject to a 30% surcharge over standard Mail/Express base fares.
• AC Tiers (3E, 3A, 2A, 1AC): Carry a 30% surcharge subject to minimum and maximum Tatkal-equivalent caps, plus 5% GST.
• Zero Concessions: Senior citizen, student, patient, and quota concessions do not apply on special trains.
• Catering Services: Catering is not included in the base fare. Onboard meals and snacks are sold separately at standard IRCTC fixed menu rates.
• Linen and Bedrolls: Full bedroll kits (two bedsheets, pillow, blanket, and towel) are supplied without extra charge in all AC classes. Sleeper coaches do not provide linen.

Here is an illustrative fare comparison for a typical 1,000 km journey (such as New Delhi to Patna):

Travel Class	Normal Express Fare	0-Series Special Fare (TOSF)	Price Difference
Second Sitting (2S)	~₹245	~₹260	+10%
Sleeper Class (SL)	~₹475	~₹630	+30%
AC 3-Tier Economy (3E)	~₹1,180	~₹1,510	+30%
AC 3-Tier (3A)	~₹1,265	~₹1,640	+30%
AC 2-Tier (2A)	~₹1,825	~₹2,320	+30%

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What are the cancellation charges and refund rules for festival special trains?

Cancellation refunds for confirmed special train tickets follow standard Indian Railways graduated slabs: flat clerkage fees apply until 48 hours before departure, 25% is deducted between 48 and 12 hours, and 50% is deducted between 12 and 4 hours. No refunds are granted after chart preparation.

Because the 30% special surcharge is baked into the base ticket fare, percentage-based cancellation deductions result in proportionally higher rupee deductions compared to regular trains.

The table below summarizes official cancellation slabs for confirmed, RAC, and waitlisted tickets:

Ticket Status	Cancellation Timing	Refund Eligibility	Deduction Applied
Confirmed	More than 48 hours before departure	Full fare minus flat clerkage fee	₹240 (1AC), ₹200 (2A), ₹180 (3A/3E), ₹120 (SL), ₹60 (2S)
Confirmed	Between 48 hours and 12 hours before departure	75% of total ticket fare	25% of ticket fare (subject to min clerkage)
Confirmed	Between 12 hours and 4 hours (up to 1st chart)	50% of total ticket fare	50% of ticket fare (subject to min clerkage)
Confirmed	Less than 4 hours or after chart preparation	Zero refund	100% forfeiture of ticket fare
RAC / Counter Waitlist	Up to 30 minutes before departure	Full fare minus clerkage	₹60 flat clerkage fee per passenger
Online Waitlist (e-Ticket)	Automatically cancelled after chart preparation	100% automated refund to original source	Zero clerkage fee (payment gateway fees retained)

For partially confirmed group bookings (where some passengers are confirmed and others waitlisted), an online TDR must be submitted up to 30 minutes before scheduled train departure to claim a refund for the unconfirmed passengers.

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What should you do when all Diwali trains show REGRET or high waitlists?

When direct festival trains display REGRET or severe waitlists, you can secure confirmed travel by discovering split-berth routes on LastBerth Smart Seats, booking from the origin station with boarding point modifications, or booking Current Availability seats.

When standard waitlists exceed zonal safety thresholds, IRCTC marks the train as REGRET, blocking further bookings. However, you can bypass this bottleneck using four proven methods:

1. Split-Segment Booking via Smart Seats

Indian Railways partitions coach berths into separate intermediate station quotas (GNWL, RLWL, and PQWL). While a direct booking from Delhi to Patna may show REGRET, berths may remain available from Delhi to Kanpur, and from Kanpur to Patna on the exact same train.

Use Smart Seats on LastBerth to discover contiguous split-segment seats, enabling you to travel on a single train without changing rakes.

2. Origin Station Booking with Boarding Modification

Intermediate stations draw from smaller pooled quotas that exhaust quickly. Booking from the originating terminal station secures access to the larger General Quota (GNWL).

Under current Indian Railways rules, you can modify your boarding station online on IRCTC up to the preparation of the second reservation chart (~30 minutes before train departure).

3. Current Availability (CURR_AVBL) Post-Chart Discovery

After the first reservation chart is prepared (at least 4 hours before departure, or 20:00 hrs the previous evening for morning trains), all unallocated quotas and cancellations are released as CURR_AVBL at a 10% discount.

Inspect Get Confirmed Tickets and track charting timelines on Chart Times to claim released berths up to 30 minutes before departure.

4. Standby Festival Clone Trains

During peak days (November 6 to November 8), zonal railways run unannounced clone trains 15 to 60 minutes behind major express services using spare rakes. These appear on IRCTC with 12 to 24 hours of advance notice, opening with zero waitlists.

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Common Booking Questions (FAQ)

Are Diwali special train tickets more expensive than regular express trains?

Yes, 0-series festival special trains charge a flat Train on Special Fare (TOSF) surcharge of 10% on Second Sitting and 30% on Sleeper and AC classes over regular express base fares. Concession discounts for senior citizens and students are not applicable.

Can you book Tatkal tickets on Diwali special trains?

Tatkal availability depends on the specific zonal notification: while some special rakes reserve a standard Tatkal quota opening at 10:00 AM for AC and 11:00 AM for non-AC, many 0-series specials operate with 100% general quota. Check the quota dropdown on IRCTC to verify Tatkal eligibility.

Does Indian Railways operate clone trains during Diwali 2026?

Yes, Indian Railways deploys standby clone trains on high-density corridors like Delhi to Patna and Mumbai to Gorakhpur when waitlists on regular services reach extreme levels. These duplicate rakes run shortly behind primary trains and open for booking 12 to 48 hours before departure.

Can you board a Diwali special train with a waitlisted e-ticket?

No, passengers holding fully waitlisted e-tickets cannot board reserved coaches, as unconfirmed online tickets are automatically cancelled after chart preparation. Boarding with an invalid ticket attracts a flat ₹500 fine under the Jan Vishwas Act 2026 plus single fare under Section 138.

How many days before departure are supplementary festival schedules notified?

Supplementary 0-series festival specials are typically notified between 10 and 30 days before departure as zonal authorities finalize rake availability. Emergency duplicate trains may be announced 24 to 48 hours ahead during peak festival days.

Can you change your boarding station on a Diwali special train?

Yes, you can change your boarding station online through the IRCTC portal up to the preparation of the second reservation chart (~30 minutes before train departure). Always verify the updated boarding point on your PNR before boarding.

Why do festival special trains often experience track delays?

0-series festival specials operate on temporary timetabled paths and yield track precedence to premium regular services such as Vande Bharat, Rajdhani, and Superfast express trains. Passengers are advised to allow adequate buffer time for time-sensitive travel.

How do you check vacant seats on festival trains after chart preparation?

You can view remaining vacant berths on IRCTC or through the Get Confirmed Tickets tool, which maps unsold berths across coaches in real time. These berths are bookable online or at station counters under Current Availability until 30 minutes before departure.

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Bottom Line

Securing confirmed train tickets during Diwali requires proactive planning across both 60-day reservation openings and 10-to-30-day supplementary special announcements. If direct routes show REGRET, use Smart Seats to find split berths, track chart prep on Chart Times, and claim released seats on Get Confirmed Tickets.

LastBerth is an independent train seat discovery and ticket search tool. It is not affiliated with IRCTC, CRIS, or the Ministry of Railways, and does not issue or sell tickets.