IRCTC Tatkal Train Ticket Booking: Timings, Reservation, Rules And Latest Facility

Tatkal facility is meant for passengers who have to undertake a train journey at a short notice. "Kindly check general quota availability before opting for Tatkal/Premium Tatkal quota," says the IRCTC or Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation on its website - irctc.co.in. The Tatkal reservation facility was introduced in 1997 in around 110 trains before it was extended to other trains. Today, IRCTC processes about 1,30,000 Tatkal transactions daily but a bulk of these Tatkal tickets are booked within minutes of the Tatkal quota opening. Recently, IRCTC, which provides online e-ticket booking facility for Indian Railways, has introduced new facilities for payment against Tatkal tickets. Earlier, these facilities were only available for paying for non-Tatkal tickets. Now they have been extended to Tatkal tickets.

Tatkal Reservation Rules, Timings And Other Details

1) Booking for Tatkal tickets of AC classes opens at 10:00 am. For non-AC classes, the Tatkal train ticket booking opens at 11:00 am, one day in advance of the actual date of journey (excluding date of journey).

2) No concession is allowed in Tatkal train ticket booking.

Tatkal Train Ticket Cancellation

3) No refund is granted on cancellation of confirmed Tatkal tickets.

4) Where confirmed reservation has been provided to an RAC or wait-listed ticket holder at any time up to final preparation of charts, such a ticket is treated as confirmed.

5) RAC or waitlisted tickets: Refund is made if the ticket is cancelled up to 30 minutes before the scheduled departure, according to the IRCTC website.

6) If a train is running late by more than 3 hours or the train is cancelled, please file Ticket Deposit Receipt (TDR) with proper reason for claiming refund, says IRCTC website - irctc.co.in.

7) In case of Tatkal ticket issued for travel for more than one passenger, some passengers have confirmed reservation and others are on waiting list, a full refund of fare less clerkage is admissible for confirmed passengers, subject to the condition that the entire Tatkal ticket is surrendered for cancellation up to thirty minutes before the scheduled departure of the train, the IRCTC adds.

How To Book Tatkal Train Tickets Through New IRCTC Facility

8) IRCTC has introduced new facilities for payment of e-tickets, including Tatkal tickets: ePaylater (powered by Arthashastra Fintech Pvt Ltd) and Pay-On-Delivery (Powered by Anduril Technologies. These options enable to book tickets first and pay later.(The ePayLater option to book Tatkal tickets via the IRCTC website)

9) While making payment for e-tickets, you have to choose ePaylater/Pay-On-Delivery option. For example, in the ePayLater option, you get the payment link through email and SMS on making your booking. If you are availing the ePayLater option, it asks you to register first.

10) You get up to 14 days to make the payment. Basically, ePayLater pays for you whenever you book a ticket. And you have to pay 3.50 per cent as charges, plus applicable taxes.

(For PNR status, train running status/enquiry, check out railbeeps.com, NDTV's brand-new train travel site)