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Bookings for Diwali–Chhath special trains from Mumbai open at 8:00 am today, Sunday, September 27, with a second tranche tomorrow. Central Railway has notified 418 festival services linking CSMT, Lokmanya Tilak Terminus, Pune, Thane and Hadapsar to Gorakhpur, Varanasi, Patna, Prayagraj and Chhapra, besides southbound corridors. Expect the sharpest rush on northbound routes from Mumbai–Pune.
Key services include daily CSMT–Gorakhpur specials from October 16 to November 16, bi‑weekly LTT–Banaras and LTT–Mau runs, and daily Hadapsar–Gorakhpur trips through central India. Additional festival trains connect Mumbai with Chennai, Nagpur, Goa and Kerala. First bookings open today; remaining notified specials open tomorrow on IRCTC and PRS counters. Check individual trains on IRCTC before payment.
IRCTC today: booking time, special charges and quotas
General reservations open at 8:00 am on IRCTC and PRS counters; agents are barred in the opening minutes to protect retail users. Festival specials run on “special fare,” and many do not carry concessions. Look for the “Special” tag and fare note before payment.
Diwali–Chhath special trains: fastest sell‑outs, dates to watch
Diwali falls on Sunday, November 8, while Chhath rituals run November 13–16 this year. Seats around November 6–9 and November 13–16 sell earliest on Mumbai–UP–Bihar corridors, with recent reports of rapid sell‑outs on Bihar‑bound routes. Target shoulder dates or alight at alternative junctions like Itarsi or Jhansi to improve odds.
Diwali–Chhath special trains: booking hacks, refunds and live status
Log in before 8:00 am with passengers saved; prefer UPI for faster checkout. If unsuccessful, try Tatkal at 10:00 am (AC) and 11:00 am (non‑AC). Waitlisted e‑tickets auto‑refund after chart; RAC/Waitlist cancellations are allowed until 30 minutes pre‑departure; confirmed tickets until four hours. Track live running on NTES; for assistance, use Rail Madad helpline 139 or app.