Best Time to Book IRCTC Train Ticket and Get Confirmed Seat

Indian Railways is the backbone of the country, connecting millions of travellers every single day. However, a Confirmed train ticket is still extremely difficult to secure and considered a stroke of luck during peak holidays and festivals.

With millions of people trying to book a train ticket, getting a confirmed seat can be tricky. The difference between a Confirmed (CNF) ticket and a Waiting List (WL) ticket is often only one entity: great timing. But what is the best time to book confirmed train tickets?

Stay with us as we explore the importance of train timing, IRCTC ARP rules, best time slots and tips to book tickets along with RailMitra’s essential train services. So, without wasting any second, let’s just dive in.

Why timing matters for booking train ticket

Timing is critical in booking a train ticket because of the huge difference between people looking for the ticket and the number of tickets actually available. Tickets end up in seconds due to the huge rush and this is why timing is such a crucial factor in booking tickets.

• High Demand and Limited Seats: Due to the huge demand, seats end up getting reserved in seconds. More so, for the Air-Conditioned and Sleeper classes.
• Peak Season and festivals: Getting seats becomes difficult during festivals like Holi, Diwali, Dussehra and Summer holidays. Even during the Weekends, there is a huge rush. Check RailMitra’s train seat availability service to find information related to available seats.
• Quota requirements: All the seats are not available for booking at a time as they are often distributed into different quotas such as General, Tatkal, Premium Tatkal, etc. Then there are people-specific quotas  like those for Senior Citizens, Ladies, Physically Handicapped, Foreign Tourists, etc. 
• IRCTC Malfunctioning: At the peak booking hours IRCTC site often gets congested. Log in early before booking opening times to ensure high chances of ticket confirmation. 
• Chart preparation strategies: Chart is prepared 4 hours before train’s departure. This releases many cancelled train tickets to open for Current booking.

Understanding the IRCTC Advance Reservation Period (ARP)

To streamline the ticket booking process IRCTC follows a strict Advance Reservation Period (ARP). According to this policy, ticket booking under the General category begins 60 days before the date of departure.

Earlier the period was fixed at 120 days, however this duration has been revised to a shorter period. The longer ARP led to many cancellations and no-show ups on the train. That is why it was reduced to 60 days.

Under ARP, the ticket booking opens at 8 AM 60 days before departure.. Passengers looking for confirmed train tickets should carefully note down this time. 

Best Days and Time Slots to Book IRCTC Train Ticket

Booking confirmed train tickets isn’t just about seat availability. We can significantly increase the chances of confirmed tickets by understanding the booking schedules of different categories of seats.

Here’s a detailed information about the best days and time slots for book confirmed train ticket belonging to different categories:

General Quota ticket

Ticket Booking Date: Ticket booking opens 60 days before the departure of the train.

Ticket Booking Time: Ticket booking begins at 8:00 am on the designated date.

Special Tips: 

• Log In 5 minutes before the opening time, i.e., 7:55 am.
• Keep a stable internet connection.
• Seats for popular trains like Vande Bharat, Rajdhani Express, Shatabdi Express, etc end up in the matter of seconds. Book the tickets for these trains as soon as the booking opens 60 days before.

Tatkal ticket

Ticket Booking Date: One day before the date of departure.

Ticket Booking Time: 10 AM for AC coaches and 11 AM for Non-AC or Sleeper coaches.

Special Tips: 

• Log in 5 minutes before booking opening time, i.e., 9:55 AM for AC coaches and 10:55 AM for Non-AC coaches.
• Use autofill options and pre-save passenger details.
• Use UPI payment options for a faster payment.

Premium Tatkal ticket

Ticket Booking Date: One day before the date of departure.

Ticket Booking Time: 10 AM for AC coaches and 11 AM for Non-AC or Sleeper.

Special Tips:

• Log in 5 minutes before booking opening time, i.e., 9:55 AM for AC coaches and 10:55 AM for Non-AC coaches.
• Premium Tatlkal tickets have a high price range and the pricing is dynamic.
• Use these tickets only when the Tatkal tickets have been exhausted and the journey is super important.

Women , Senior Citizens and Handicapped Quota

Ticket Booking Date: 60 days before the date of departure just as ARC.

Ticket Booking Time: At 8 AM on the designated date, i.e., 60 days before departure. 

Special Tips:

• Don’t wait and try booking tickets on the day reservation begins at 07:55 AM.
• Women quota is generally available only in Sleeper Class (SL) or Second Sitting (2S).
• Senior Citizens are prioritized for Lower Berths. 
• Handicapped Quota is available in all of the classes.
• A person can accompany the Handicapped individual on the train with the same concessions as that of the Handicapped person.

Best days of the Week to book Confirmed train ticket

Ticket Booking Days: Tuesday- Thursday

Special Tips:

• Weekends see a huge spike in ticket booking traffic, try to book train tickets on weekdays.
• Avoid booking tickets on Fridays and Sundays.
• Saturdays face moderate demand and can be used to book short train journeys. 

Best months of Year to book Confirmed train ticket

The traffic to book train tickets doesn’t remain the same throughout the year. It changes from month to month depending upon the availability of any festive seasons, vacations or national event. 

Special Tips:

• Book tickets during the Exam Season, i.e., February-March. Families and students are mostly busy in exam related activities making the booking of train tickets easier.
• Monsoon time, i.e., July-August receives moderate ticket booking traffic as many people try to stay indoors during this period. Booking train tickets is easier during this period.
• Winter months of December and January receive significant traffic due to holidays like Christmas and the New Year. If possible avoid booking tickets near to these festival dates. 
• Avoid festive season months, i.e., October-November. There are a number of festivals aligned during these months like Durga Puja, Diwali and Chhath. 
• Summer vacation  period, i.e., May-June gets a huge rush of people looking to travel as families want to spend quality time with their kids. Try avoiding this time to book a train ticket. 

Smart Hacks to Boost Your Chances of a Confirmed Train Ticket

Here are some smart hacks that can increase the chances of a confirmed train ticket:

1. Use the IRCTC Rail Connect app instead of the website as the former is often found to be faster in peak booking hours.
2. Pre-save the list of passengers using the Master List service to reduce time during the tatkal ticket booking.
3. Instead of using Card Payment choose IRCTC eWallet or other UPI payment services.
4. Opt for Vikalp Scheme to enhance ticket confirmation chances even upon getting a Waiting List ticket. 

RailMitra Tools That Help You Book Confirmed Train Tickets

RailMitra, your ultimate friend of the train, understands your problems and the issues associated with a Confirmed train ticket booking. Hence, it has launched several help services that reduces the stress of the passengers:

• Train Seat Availability: With the help of train seat availability one can check the number of seats available for booking. Using this service passengers can avoid getting Waitlisted. 
• PNR Status check: Once you get a Waiting List or a RAC ticket, you need to check it again and again to see if there is any development in the booking status. PNR Status check is a service that allows you to check your booking status in real time. 
• Train Schedule: If your train ticket doesn’t get Confirmed while the departure time looms closer, you need to book an alternative ticket. Train Schedule is a service that helps you look at the train timings. By looking at the train timings and routes we can compare and decide which train is best for us. 
• Live Train Running Status: This is another service that describes train timings in real time. If there are any delays or before time arrivals with the train, this is updated duly with live train status. 

Conclusion

Securing a Confirmed train ticket in India can seem like a Herculean task. By respecting the element of time and booking the ticket at the right day and time, it can be the difference between a confirmed and waiting list ticket. Book tickets during the best days and available time slots.

Using helpful services at RailMitra we can make our journey comfortable and easier. So, don’t leave your booking to luck, follow smart booking strategies and stay ahead of your journey, always.