IRCTC Glitches Disrupt Bihar Diwali Bookings; Railways Add Special Trains

Passengers trying to book festival travel to Bihar have flooded social media with complaints that the IRCTC platform crashes or shows "high load error" and "regret" messages within minutes of the booking window opening for Diwali and Chhath Puja journeys. Indian Railways has lined up special trains for Bihar-bound travellers between September 16 and November 30.

In an appeal to Union Railway Minister Ashiwini Vaishnaw, an X user wrote, “Dear Railway Minister Sir, Every year during Diwali and Chhath Puja, when we try to book train tickets to go home to Bihar, we log into the IRCTC app two months in advance. However, the app crashes and shows a 'Regret'.” Another requested Vaishnaw to issue a "clarification regarding the difficulties passengers are facing while booking train tickets for Diwali and Chhath to travel home, especially to Bihar."

Livemint reported that it logged on to the IRCTC app at about 8 am on Sunday, September 13, to check Bihar-bound trains for around November 12. Most sections showed a "regret" message. Indian Railways allows booking regular tickets up to 60 days in advance under the Advance Reservation Period (ARP), excluding the date of journey. That means bookings for travel on November 12, 2026 open at 08:00 am.

Booking Problems Online

Users want answers. One X user sought a "clarification regarding the difficulties passengers are facing while booking train tickets for Diwali and Chhath to travel home, especially to Bihar."

When Livemint checked the app, most sections displayed a "regret" message. On some trains, the waiting list had already crossed 100 and even 200 in some classes. The problem, users argued, was not just demand but the platform failing at the start of the booking window.

One user posted, "REGRET happens just few minutes after ticket booking starts". Another wrote, "...since 8 Am, I am Trying to book a railway ticket to go home (Bihar) for Diwali and Chhath Puja, but the system keeps showing “Error” or “High System Load. Not booked a ticket...," and called it a "PATHETIC system".

The frustration went beyond failed transactions. One X user wrote, "If REGRET happens just a few minutes after ticket booking starts, then 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."

Another user posted, "Railway was, is, and will always be a mess. Tried booking a Chhath ticket to Bihar at 8 AM—site stayed busy until 8:12, then started working on and off only after all tickets were already sold out."

Festival Special Trains

Railways have announced more special trains. East Central Railway announced the full schedule of 16 festival special trains on September 9, with weekly, biweekly and daily services from more than 10 major cities to stations in Bihar.

Delhi travellers have the most options. The special services cover key Bihar routes including Patna Junction, Patliputra Junction, Muzaffarpur and Jogbani. The announced services include:

- Delhi to Sitamarhi special train runs on Thursdays from October 15 to November 19

- Sitamarhi to Delhi return runs on Saturdays from October 17 to November 21

- Rishikesh to Muzaffarpur special train runs on Sundays from October 4 to November 29

- Muzaffarpur to Rishikesh return runs on Mondays from October 5 to November 30

- Chandigarh to Patna special train runs on Thursdays from October 1 to November 26

- Patna to Chandigarh return runs on Fridays from October 2 to November 27

- Firozpur Cantt to Patna special train runs on Tuesdays from October 6 to November 24

- Patna to Firozpur Cantt return runs on Wednesdays from October 7 to November 25

- Anand Vihar to Jogbani special train runs on Saturdays from October 10 to November 7

- Jogbani to Anand Vihar return runs on Sundays from October 11 to November 8

- Anand Vihar to Muzaffarpur train runs on Tuesdays and Fridays from October 13 to November 24

- Muzaffarpur to Anand Vihar return runs on Wednesdays and Saturdays from October 14 to November 25

- Anand Vihar to Patliputra special train runs daily from October 1 to November 29

- Patliputra to Anand Vihar return runs daily from October 2 to November 30

- Anand Vihar to Laukha Bazaar service runs from September 16 to November 29

- Laukha Bazaar to Anand Vihar return service runs from September 17 to November 30

Northern Railways Update

Northern Railways has also announced festival special trains for the coming festive season. The report introduces that list with the line: "During the upcoming festival season, Railways have decided to run the following Festival Special Trains as per the details given below:"

That announcement adds to the broader push by Indian Railways to handle the seasonal rush, even as passengers continue to complain online about booking failures on the IRCTC platform.