Delhi to Patna trains report regret status two months before Diwali and Chhath
Passengers planning to travel from Delhi to Patna for Diwali and Chhath Puja 2026 are facing heavy booking rushes as major trains show complete seat saturation. With the festivals approaching in November, the advance reservation period has already pushed popular routes into heavy waitlists and 'REGRET' status.
Diwali is scheduled for November 8 and Chhath Puja rituals will conclude by November 16, 2026. Booking windows for early November travel opened recently, and key premium services filled up almost instantly, leaving thousands of passengers stranded on waiting lists.
Current Train Availability and Booking Data
Key premium services including the Tejas Rajdhani Express and Sampoorna Kranti Express are reporting zero availability with status updates showing 'REGRET' shortly after booking windows opened. Other vital services such as the Duronto Express are also experiencing extensive waitlists.
Official data from September 8, 2026, reveals staggering passenger movement figures. For travel on November 6, over 24,000 confirmed tickets were issued for Delhi to Patna routes, while approximately 10,000 waitlisted tickets were processed before capacity was fully exhausted. For the critical period between November 1 and November 5, waiting lists across various classes including Sleeper, Economy, and AC currently range from 50 to 250 passengers per train.
Special Trains and Fare Concessions by Indian Railways
To ease this immense seasonal rush, Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw has announced that Indian Railways will operate over 12,000 special train trips for the 2026 festive season. Regional zones are stepping up operations to clear the backlog. Northern Railway has confirmed 20 festival special trains, while Central Railway is set to run 1,702 special services.
Additionally, Indian Railways is providing financial relief to early planners by offering a 20% discount on return tickets for passengers traveling between October 13 and October 26, provided their return journeys are scheduled between November 17 and December 1. Travellers are advised to keep an eye on special train announcements and utilize alternative routes to secure confirmed berths.