Reservation in Indian railways - Tatkal Reservation to Help Last Minute Travel

Author: kyleataylor | Posted: 28.11.2011

Indian railways, operating 65000 km routes and catering 7500 rail stations, provides advance booking of seats to secure one’s travel well before 90 days. However, emergencies do occur where you require reservation in Indian railways just a day before travel. The railways have made provision for such reservations through its tatkal scheme.

Indian railway reservation facility is also obtainable through Travel agents authorized by the Ministry of Railways and these agents are permitted to charge a small fee for the services, over and above the train fare and reservation charges.

Through tatkal scheme you can reserve your seats for the travel one day before your travel day. However, the ticket reservation in Indian railways through tatkal scheme has certain conditions:

•A tatkal fee ranging from Rs 10 to Rs 300 will be charged according to the class of travel

•Only 4 tickets can be booked in a single PNR

•Travel agents and also internet booking are not permitted between 8.00 am and 10.00 am.

•Web agents booking through IRCTC can book only one tatkal ticket for one train.

•The facility of change of name of traveler is not available for tatkal tickets.

•Refund for cancellation of tatkal tickets will be permissible only in certain specified circumstances and conditions; otherwise, there will not be any refund .

In the initial days, Indian railway reservation was all done through railway counters established in selected railway stations , when manual reservation process was in vogue. Now, with the introduction of computerization during the past three decades, the facility for seat reservations has been improved stage by stage, with today’s online booking facilities enabling a passenger to do ticket reservation in Indian railways right from one’s home, with corresponding online payment facilities through net banking or credit card usage.

Still Indian railway reservation through rail station counters is the most popular method, although most of the affluent society members choose to do online booking facilitated through Indian Railways Catering and Tourism Company Limited, an exclusive business process operator constituted by the Ministry of Railways for doing ticket reservation in Indian railways. IRCTC, as it is popularly known, charges a fee for online booking, scheduled according to the class of travel and charged per ticket booked.

The reservation can be cancelled, however, the fare refund is reduced according to the time of cancellation, like before 24 hours, a flat fee according to class of travel, 25% if it is within 24 hours before departure, and 50% of the fare if it is within 6 hours of the travel.

It is needless to say that advance booking of your tickets through Indian railway reservation is the best way to travel in comfort and without hassle.

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Indian Railway Reservation - Guide for online railway reservation, railway reservation enquiry, train travel in india, train routes in india for the rail yatries, for more information about Indian railway Reservation log on to Indianrailwaysreservation.co.in

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