Train is one of the most used means of transportation in India as almost every city and town in the country is well connected to each other via superfast, express, local, and other types of trains. Though Indian trains make one of the largest rail networks in the world, they still get overcrowded during the festive seasons, on weekends, and other special occasions. It is also due to the large population of the country that exceeds 1.4 billion.
Ant to deal with jam-packed situations, Indian Railways offer tatkal tickets to its travellers who can book them one day prior to the departure of the train. These tickets are helpful for those who have got immediate travel plans and haven’t got any tickets in advance. If you are also one of these, here is the brief guide on IRCTC tatkal ticket booking.
What is an IRCTC Tatkal Ticket?
IRCTC stands for Indian Railways Catering and Tourism Corporation and is a sole company in India that is responsible for taking care of hospitality, tourism, and catering services across all stations in the country. And a tatkal ticket, as mentioned earlier, is an immediate ticket that you can book only one day prior to your departure.
These tickets can be booked for all kinds of classes including sleeper, 3AC, chair car, executive car, 2AC, etc. Tatkal ticket booking windows open at 10:00 am for AC (Air-conditioned) classes and at 11:00 am for non-AC classes.
How to do Tatkal Ticket Booking?
Indian Railways ticket booking can be done in two ways, i.e, online and offline. Let’s understand how to do the booking through both the modes:
Offline
There are two ways to get your tatkal tickets offline:
You can visit the nearby railway station, fill a form providing all the significant details including name, number, origin, destination, address, etc, and get a hard copy of your tatkal ticket. OR
You can take the help of a travel agent and get your booking done, though it will be more expensive as you would need to pay commission charges to the agent.
Online
There are three ways to book your tatkal tickets online:
You can download the IRCTC app, register your account and book your ticket. OR
You can directly visit the official website of Indian Railways – https://www.irctc.co.in – and then create an account to get your booking done. OR
You can download a third-party app like Goibibo from the Google Play Store or AppStore and then create an account to book your tickets.
Tatkal Vs Premium Tatkal
Tatkal tickets are of two types and there are a few major differences between them.
- A Premium tatkal ticket is an online only service, while a Tatkal ticket can be booked online on the app and website as well as from the ticket window of a railway station.
- A tatkal ticket is more expensive than regular tickets, while a premium tatkal ticket is more expensive than a tatkal ticket.
- The fares of tatkal tickets are fixed, while the premium tatkal tickets have dynamic fares and hence, they may vary according to booking rate and seat availability with time for various classes.
- Tatkal tickets can be booked by anyone, while premium tatkal tickets can only be booked by web services agents of IRCTC
- You can get a waitlisted ticket under Tatkal quota, while premium tatkal booking is only available for confirm tickets
Charges for IRCTC Tatkal Tickets
For IRCTC tatkal tickets, the price is fixed and is about 10% higher for second class and 30% higher for other classes. In general, you need to pay a minimum of 100 and a maximum of 200 for sleeper tickets and a minimum of 300 and a maximum of 400 for 3AC tickets. The prices are in the brackets of 400-500 for 2AC and Executive class tickets.
Cancellation Policy for Tatkal Tickets
You will not get any refund for the cancellation of confirmed tatkal tickets. However, for waitlisted tatkal tickets cancellation, the charges will be INR 20 + GST only if you cancel the ticket at least 4 hours before the train departure.
Top Hacks to Book Confirmed Tatkal Tickets
- Make sure your internet speed is good so that you do not experience any kind of lag
- Keep all your payment cards handy
- Fill in the required information including name, number, address, etc in advance
- In case of any payment failure, try another card
