How to book confirmed train tickets during Diwali and Chhath Puja rush
Festival season is Indian Railways' busiest stretch of the year. Here's how the advance booking window works and how to actually get a confirmed seat home.
Diwali and Chhath Puja together make up the single biggest travel rush on the Indian rail network every year, especially on routes into Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, and Jharkhand. Tickets on the most popular trains can go from open to fully waitlisted within minutes of the booking window opening.
Know your booking window
Indian Railways' advance reservation period (ARP) currently opens tickets 60 days before the date of journey, at 8:00 AM IST — this window has changed in the past (it was 120 days for a long stretch), so it's worth double-checking the current ARP on irctc.co.in close to your travel dates.
- Count exactly 60 days back from your travel date and be logged in a few minutes early.
- Double-check the festival date for your specific state — Chhath, Durga Puja, and Diwali don't always fall on the same day everywhere.
- Book your return leg at the same time as your outward journey — return availability disappears just as fast, usually while you're still celebrating.
Pro tip: Save your passenger list in IRCTC's Master List well before booking day — during festival rush, every extra second typing details costs you seats.
If general quota is already gone
Watch for special or Suvidha trains (numbered in the 0XXXX series) that Indian Railways typically adds during festival peaks — they're announced closer to the date and often have a separate, less crowded booking window. Opting into Vikalp for your existing waitlisted booking, and keeping Tatkal as a day-before backup, both remain useful even after the main window has closed.
Open Sold-Out Festival Travel Rescue Portal