Train Ticket Booking Tips: Know How to Get Confirmed Tickets
Passengers search for IRCTC train ticket booking tips to get confirmed ticket online. Getting a confirmed ticket is difficult due to a large number of passengers booking their tickets in advance. With some tested tricks (legitimate), you can book a confirmed ticket online and through passenger reservation counters.
Amid the COVID crisis, the Indian Railway focused on expanding its services. Though trains’ normal operation has not yet begun, IRCTC has started running more trains between the stations. With more special trains on routes, passengers with a confirmed ticket can only travel in trains. Alternatively, the demand for the confirmed ticket has also increased due to upcoming festivals like Durga Puja, Diwali, and Chhath.
Here, we will discuss some tricks that will help you book a confirmed ticket.
Train Ticket Booking Tips for Tatkal:
As many of you might know, Tatkal ticket booking is started 24 hours before the scheduled departure of the trains. For AC coaches, tatkal ticket booking starts at 10 AM, and for Sleeper coaches, it starts at 11 AM. Generally, while booking tatkal tickets, all the tickets get sold until a passenger fills the form. Therefore, booking a ticket is almost impossible for a common person who wishes to get a confirmed ticket via the tatkal booking scheme of the Indian Railways.
Things to Know before Booking a Tatkal Train Ticket
While booking a tatkal ticket, a passenger has to select the Date of the Journey and the destination (origin station and destination station) details. Once you are done with it, a list of trains will be displayed. You can select the one according to your travel requirement. Subsequently, you have to select the class of the journey, such as AC or Non-AC. Next, you need to select the Quota, which is Tatkal Ticket in this case. Finally, you will get options for Disabled, Premium Tatkal, General Lower/Upper Berth, Senior Citizen etc. You need to click these options to provide your preferred choice for options. Having these details in advance will help you get the confirmed train tickets.
Also Read:Train Ticket Booking: IRCTC Introduces New Codes for Seat Booking
Fill in Your Master List in Advance
Master List is the passenger’s detail that can be saved in advance. This list can be saved on both the website and the app of Indian Railways. You need to log in to your account on the IRCTC ticket booking website and click the My Profile option. Once you click this, it will open the My Master List option. Fill in the details in advance through the Add New option. While booking your tatkal train ticket, make sure to select Add Existing option for providing details of the passengers. Doing this will save your time and increase the chances of getting a confirmed tatkal ticket. Some people may also use the Chrome Browser extension for booking tickets faster.
The Role of Category in Ticket Confirmation
There are different categories of waiting list tickets in Indian Railways. If you have a ticket under a waiting list, make sure to check its category. When a passenger cancels their tatkal ticket, preference of confirmation is given to tickets on the tatkal waiting list (TQWL). In this category, the reservation against cancellation RAC option is not available; hence TQWL tickets are first confirmed. Finally, if your ticket doesn’t confirm, it is cancelled automatically, and your money is refunded to your bank account.
PNR Status Check for Confirmation Probability
Do you know every booked train ticket has a code that tells about the confirmation chances for reservation? Your train ticket has a unique 10-digit PNR number. PNR is referred to as the passenger name record, and it is an important number on the upper left side of the reserved ticket. You can use this number to check the confirmation probability of your ticket. The RailMitra’s PNR Prediction feature uses an AI-based algorithm to predict a waitlisted or RAC ticket’s confirmation chances. Passengers can use this feature on both the RailMitra app and its website.
How to Do Smart Card Recharge Online to Book Unreserved Train Ticket
To give a boost to digitalization, the Indian Railway has enabled the UTSonmobile web portal. Passengers who use Smart cards to purchase unreserved tickets, including the platform tickets, can now recharge them online by registering on this portal. Earlier, Smart Card holders had to visit railway reservation counters for recharging them.
Related Reading: Train Ticket: All That You Need To Know
Here Are the Steps to Online Recharge Your Smart Card:
- Passengers need to register on the website – utsonmobile.indianrail.gov.in Click menu 4., for Smart Card Recharge Option.
- Passengers can use Credit Cards, Debit Cards, Internet Banking, UPI, and other digital options to recharge their Smart Cards.
- Once the payment is processed successfully, passengers will be asked to visit the nearest Automatic Ticket Vending Machine, ATVM.
- Make sure to visit the ATVM within 15 days from the date of recharge or before the card expiry date.
- Put your Smart Card on the ATVM’s reader and select the Recharge Smart Card option. The ATVM will fetch the details of the online recharge done, and the amount will be top-up to your Smart Card.
- After this, you are ready to use your Smart Card for purchasing unreserved tickets.
You can purchase a Smart Card at booking offices at suburban stations. The Smart Card cost is Rs 70, in which Rs 50 is a refundable deposit and Rs 20 is recharge value.
Benefits
- 3% extra value on every recharge
- IRCTC Smart Card can save you from standing in a long queue
- Saves your time
- Smart Card Minimum recharge amount: Rs 20
- Maximum recharge amount: Rs 9500
- Smart Card Cancellation Charge: Rs 30
- Longer Validity: 1 year from the date of issue
If you buy an unreserved train ticket through your Card, make sure to start your journey within one hour.
Train Ticket Booking Tips for Tricky Situations
You might be an experienced traveler, but sometimes you may confuse while booking a ticket. Here are few train ticket booking tips that works fine for different situations.
Situation: When a train arrives at a station at 11:55 PM or after and leaves the station after 12 o’clock, a passenger should book the ticket for which day.
In this situation, the passenger should consider the date of the journey based on the departure of the train from the station.
For example, A train from Jaynagar to Delhi leaves at 8.30 PM from Jaynagar and reaches Patna Junction Station at 11.55 PM, and the train leaves Patna at 12.05 AM. Therefore, passengers boarding at Patna should book the ticket for the day when the train leaves the station where the passenger will board the train.
Indian Railway has come up with new ticket booking rules. Registered Users who have not booked tickets for a long time will have to undergo a verification process before buying tickets from the IRCTC website. The verification process will include the verification of their e-mail Id and mobile number.
How Can I Book Ticket Faster?
Follow the below-mentioned steps to book your train ticket faster and securely.
- Book your train ticket from the official Indian Railway Website
- Keep your Master List filled with passenger details in advance
- iMudra helps you book the Tatkal tickets quickly; use IRCTC iMudra digital wallet for online payment for your ticket
- Get access to a stable and fast internet connection for booking the ticket
- Prefer the Mobile app over the website for booking the ticket
The official IRCTC App and website are the best option for booking your train ticket. While booking the ticket, make sure to keep your registered mobile in an open area where signal strength is good. Delay in receiving OTP can take extra time and thus, prevent you from booking your ticket faster.
What is Tatkal Train Ticket Booking?
In December 1997, the Tatkal Ticket Reservation scheme was introduced by the Indian Railways. It allows passengers to book their tickets in one day advance of the date of the journey. The Tatkal ticket booking is available for all seat categories except AC-1, such as Sleeper, AC-3, AC-2, and executive class. Tatkal fare is charged at a minimum of 30% of the base fare.
How Many Days before Can We Book a Train Ticket?
You can book a train ticket 120 days in advance from the date of the journey. However, in some intercity day express trains and Special trains, the advance reservation period may vary.
Planning your journey is important prior to buy the tickets. RailMitra offers you a wide range of enquiry services, including Train Schedule, Seat Availability, and Fare Enquiry, to help you plan your journey in the best possible way. Besides that, you can also use this online platform to order delicious food on train and get it delivered to your seat.
Keep visiting RailMitra for the latest updates on IRCTC train ticket booking tips.