The festive season in India always brings a surge in train ticket demand, as migrant workers head home for Durga Puja, Dussehra, Diwali and Chhath.The change, effective November 1, 2024, has intensified the scramble for seats and creating confusions on the actual right time to book tickets ahead of the festive season, when demand traditionally surges as migrant workers travel home. Shorter booking windowEffective November 1, 2024, the new rule allows ticket reservations 60 days ahead of the journey date (61 days for trains reaching intermediate stations the next day). Select intercity express services retain shorter booking periods. For example, tickets for October 19, 2025, travel open on August 20, 2025.High demand, few options- When to book?Despite the 60-day window, festival tickets often sell out within minutes. Passengers unable to secure confirmed seats are forced to rely on costlier and uncertain Tatkal quotas. To improve chances, experts, quoted by Economic Times advise logging onto the IRCTC portal at 8 am on the opening day of reservations.Booking clarityReservation status appears directly on tickets—either confirmed (with berth details), RAC, or waitlisted. Tools like the traindate booking calculator can help passengers plan by showing when the advance reservation period begins.