With Diwali set to be celebrated on November 8, demand for train tickets to various destinations in Tamil Nadu has surged, with several services reportedly moving to the waitlist within minutes of bookings opening.
Under the Indian Railways’ 60-day advance reservation system, bookings for travel on November 6 opened at 8 a.m. on Monday through the IRCTC website and railway station reservation counters.
Tickets for several major express trains from Chennai Central, Chennai Egmore and Tambaram towards destinations including Madurai, Tirunelveli, Kanniyakumari, Coimbatore and Thoothukudi were reportedly exhausted within minutes of the booking opening.
Thousands of passengers waiting online and at railway reservation counters were left disappointed. With a large number of passengers attempting to book tickets simultaneously through the IRCTC website and mobile application, the services reportedly slowed down and several trains quickly moved to the waitlist category.
Bookings for travel on November 7 are scheduled to open on September 8 at 8 a.m., while bookings for travel on November 8 will open on September 9.
Advance reservations for passengers returning to major cities after the Diwali holidays are scheduled to begin on September 10.
With tickets on regular services being sold out quickly, passengers have urged Southern Railway to announce additional special trains to destinations in southern districts and the Kongu region to meet the expected festive-season demand.
