What happens when you have to plan a last-minute trip? Tickets for all of the major trains on your route would have been sold out by now! Your Indian railway inquiry about seat availability will only result in disappointment. The Tatkal booking scheme comes in handy during such travel emergencies for passengers.
This last-minute travel quota is reserved for approximately 7-10% of seats in any given train under the IRCTC Tatkal scheme. However, when booking Tatkal tickets, you are competing with thousands of other travellers for a confirmed berth.
The IRCTC website is inundated with visitors during the short Tatkal booking period. As a result, the majority of users will see the 503 Error message. So, in an effort to decrease your train travel woes, we’ve compiled a list of quick tips for booking IRCTC Tatkal tickets.
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Tatkal Ticket Reservation
Are you dissatisfied because no train tickets are available for you to travel? Not to worry! Tatkal booking makes last-minute travel arrangements simple. During peak travel season, travellers can easily travel to their destination using the Tatkal ticket booking online facility.
The Tatkal scheme, which was introduced in 1997, allows passengers to book their tickets one day in advance of the actual date of travel. Tatkal bookings are available for all seat categories, including sleeper, 3A, 2A, and executive. Here is information on Tatkal train tickets to help you with your train travel.
How do I purchase Tatkal tickets? When does Tatkal ticket booking begin?
Tatkal booking for selected trains begins at 10:00 a.m. for AC classes and 11:00 a.m. for non-AC classes, one day before the departure date. Tatkal tickets can be purchased in person at a railway station or online at the IRCTC website. Tatkal tickets can only be booked for a maximum of four passengers per PNR.
Tatkal tickets will be issued for the actual distance travelled rather than the end-to-end distance, subject to the train’s distance restriction. Tatkal seats or berths can be booked in multiple legs until the charts are prepared.
Tatkal ticket cancellation and refund policy: No refunds will be given for cancelled Tatkal tickets. Charges for waitlisted Tatkal ticket cancellations will be deducted in accordance with existing Railway rules.
Concessions in the Tatkal Scheme: No concessions are permitted.
Tatkal ticket booking charges as per IRCTC
| Class of Travel | Minimum Tatkal Charges (in Rs.) | Maximum Tatkal Charges (in Rs.) | Minimum Distance for charge(in Km) |
| Reserve Second sitting (2S) | 10 | 15 | 100 |
| Sleeper | 100 | 200 | 500 |
| AC Chair Car | 125 | 225 | 250 |
| AC 3 Tier | 300 | 400 | Gre500 |
| AC 2 Tier | 400 | 500 | 500 |
| Executive | 400 | 500 | 250 |
IRCTC Taktal Ticket Purchase via Trainman
Tatkal booking for selected trains begins one day before the journey at 10:00 a.m. for AC classes and 11:00 a.m. for non-AC classes. Tatkal tickets are limited to a maximum of four passengers per PNR.
Tatkal tickets will be issued based on the actual distance travelled rather than the end-to-end distance of the train. A tatkal seat or berth may be booked on multiple legs until the charts are ready.
Tips To Book Tatkal Ticket In 5 Minutes
Keep The Travel List Ready
Because Tatkal ticket booking is all about saving time, it is critical that you have all of the necessary information on hand, such as the passenger’s name, journey date, and so on. So, go to the Trainman app and create a Master List with all passenger information. This Master List can be used for subsequent bookings at any time. Make a separate ‘Travel List’ for the specific travel for which you want to book your Tatkal ticket. Details from this list can be retrieved during the booking process, allowing you to complete all requirements in a matter of minutes.
Research About Station Codes
This simple error is made by far too many people. Before beginning an IRCTC Tatkal booking session, you should have not only an idea of your source and destination stations, but also their station codes copied and pasted on a Notepad file. Searching for station codes after the screen appears reduces your chances of successfully booking the ticket.
Prepare The Passenger Details
Make sure you have the passenger/s names and ages typed and ready to use before logging into the IRCTC app or website. Every second you have after logging in should be maximised to the greatest extent possible. As a result, as soon as the Passenger Details page appears, you must quickly copy and paste the information.
Decide Berth Preference
You will be asked for your berth preferences in the next step, and there will be no time to ponder. As a result, you must be astute in this regard. If you choose the lower berth, it is very likely that it will not be available. In such a case, you would take two or three steps back. That reduces your chances of getting a Tatkal ticket. As a result, we recommend that you do not select any berth preferences in order to keep the process simple.
Arrange Bank Information
The next step is to pay for the tickets after you have selected the train, class, and seats during the IRCTC Tatkal booking process. You will be asked for relevant bank information in the Payment Gateway. If you start looking for a Debit or Credit card after you’ve arrived at the Payment Gateway, there’s a good chance the transaction will fail, resulting in the entire process failing. Your session will expire, and you will not be able to book Tatkal again. So keep the cards and your mobile phone (for OTP) nearby.
Tatkal And Premium Tatkal
| Tatkal | Premium Tatkal |
| IRCTC Tatkal booking charges are fixed | Premium Tatkal tickets have dynamic fare pricing for classes |
| Agents can book tickets under this quota | Agents are not allowed to book tickets under this quota |
| RAC/ Waitlist ticket booking is allowed | Only confirmed ticket gets booked |
| Passengers are waitlisted | No waitlisting in Premium Tatkal |
| Tickets can be cancelled | Tickets cannot be cancelled |
| Preferential allowances are given to senior citizens and children | No preferential allowances are given to any passengers |
| Tatkal ticket availability: Available at the counters and online platforms | Only available at online platforms |
The Trainman app is available on Google Play Store and iOS App Store. Moreover, it has features like checking the PNR Status of the booked ticket, Seat Availability, Running Status, and many more.