Diwali, Chhath Puja train chaos: IRCTC shows ‘high load’, ‘regret’; Railways announce special trains, check timetable | Today’s news

Many people took to social media to complain about difficulties in booking train tickets to travel home, especially to Bihar, during Diwali and Chhath Puja. Some claimed that they got a “high load error” or “regret” message while booking tickets on the Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) website.

Appealing to Union Railway Minister Ashiwini Vaishnaw, one user X said, “Dear Railway Minister, every year during Diwali and Chhath Puja, when we try to book train tickets home to Bihar, we log into the IRCTC app two months in advance. But the app crashes and shows ‘Regret’.”

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Another asked Vaishnaw to issue a “clarification on the difficulties faced by passengers in booking Diwali and Chhath train tickets for their journey home, especially to Bihar”.

When Mint logged into the IRCTC app around 8 am on Sunday (September 13) to check the availability of tickets on Bihar-bound trains around November 12, most sections showed a “regret” message. The waiting list reached more than 100 in some trains and even 200 in some classes.

Indian Railways allows you to book regular train tickets up to 60 days in advance (excluding the date of travel). This 60-day limit is called the advance reservation period (ARP). This means that on November 12, 2026, the date of travel, ticket booking will start at 08:00.

But even booking tickets at eight o’clock in the morning was not easy for users.

“SORRY just a few minutes after you start booking tickets”

“…since 8am I have been trying to book a ticket home (Bihar) for Diwali and Chhath Puja but the system keeps showing ‘Error’ or ‘System High Load. Unreserved Ticket…,'” claimed another “frustrated” user slamming the “PATHETIC system”.

Another user asked: “If REGRET happens just minutes after ticket booking starts, how will the common passenger get home? During festivals, trains are a necessity for the public, not some VIP facility. Technology is only successful when its benefits reach the common man.”

“Rail was, is and always will be a mess. Tried to book a Chhath ticket to Bihar at 8:00 am – site stayed busy till 8:12, then started working on and on until all tickets were sold out,” said another user X.

Special trains announced

Indian Railways operates special trains that facilitate travel from several major cities, including Delhi, to Bihar’s main railway station. These trains will run from September 16 to November 30, the release added.

East Central Railway has announced the full schedule of 16 festival special trains on September 9. Some of these trains will be weekly, others will run once every two weeks. Some of them will also run on a daily basis.

The details are as follows:

Trains will run from more than 10 major cities including Delhi, Chandigarh, Firozpur Cantt and Rishikesh to various stations in Bihar. Passengers from Delhi to Bihar will have the most options. Special trains are planned on Patna Junction, Patliputra Junction, Muzaffarpur and Jogbani routes.

Credit: East Central Railway

1. Special train from Delhi to Sitamarhi will run on Thursdays from 15th October to 19th November. Meanwhile, the Sitamarhi to Delhi train will run on Saturdays from October 17 to November 21.

2. A special train will also run between Rishikesh and Muzaffarpur. This train will run on Sundays from October 4th to November 29th. The return train from Muzaffarpur to Rishikesh will run on Mondays from 5th October to 30th November.

3. A special train from Chandigarh to Patna will run on Thursdays from October 1 to November 26. The Patna to Chandigarh train will run on Fridays from 2nd October to 27th November.

4. Firozpur Cantt to Patna train will run on Tuesdays from 6th October to 24th November. Patna to Firozpur Cantt train will run on Wednesdays from 7th October to 25th November.

5. A special train from Anand Vihar to Jogbani will run on Saturdays from October 10 to November 7. The return train from Jogbani to Anand Vihar will run on Sundays from 11th October to 8th November.

6. The Anand Vihar to Muzaffarpur train will run on Tuesdays and Fridays from 13 October to 24 November. The return train from Muzaffarpur to Anand Vihar will run on Wednesdays and Saturdays from 14 October to 25 November.

7. The Anand Vihar-Patliputra route will also be important for passengers traveling from Delhi to Bihar during the festive season. A special train will run daily from Anand Vihar to Patliputra. It will be in operation from 1st October to 29th November The train from Patliputra to Anand Vihar will run daily from 2nd October to 30th November.

8. There are also daily trains that run between Anand Vihar and Laukha Bazaar and Laukha Bazaar to Anand Vihar. The Anand Vihar to Laukha Bazaar route is scheduled from 16 September to 29 November and the return flight is scheduled from 17 September to 30 November.

Northern Railways announce festival special trains

During the upcoming festival season, railways have decided to run the following festival special trains as per the details given below:

Northern Railways Announces Festival Special Trains