Diwali 2026: Train Tickets for November 9 Sell Out Within Minutes

Train ticket reservations for passengers planning to travel to their hometowns for Diwali and return afterwards sold out within just a few minutes of opening.

Train ticket reservations usually open 60 days in advance. Accordingly, reservations for train travel during this year`s Diwali period have begun. Diwali will be celebrated on November 8 this year.

A large number of passengers travelling from Chennai to southern districts are booking train tickets for the Diwali period. Reservations have now opened for passengers planning to travel to their hometowns and return after the festival.

Reservations for trains scheduled to operate on November 9, the day after Diwali, opened today, September 10, at 8:00 am. However, tickets were sold out within a few minutes of the booking window opening.

As November 9 falls immediately after Diwali, there was heavy competition for tickets. Many passengers reportedly faced difficulties logging into their IRCTC accounts. Some said they were able to log in only after around five minutes, by which time no tickets were available and the booking status had moved to `REGRET`.

Passengers were particularly disappointed as AC tickets also sold out within just a few minutes.

The number of passengers travelling from Chennai and other cities to various destinations, particularly the southern districts, is several times higher than the number of available reserved tickets. As a result, many passengers are struggling to secure train tickets.

It is worth noting that reservations for travel on November 10, Tuesday, will open tomorrow, September 11, Friday, at 8:00 am.