Reservation Rules for Trains - Quotas & Policies

Reservation Rules for Trains – Quotas & Policies

Indian Railways requires that all passengers who want to travel by train reserve their seats in advance, except for the General/Unreserved coaches. You can travel in any train or travel class you choose with a seat/berth assigned to your name. What you need to know about railway reservations in India

Train Reservation at PRS Counters

In India, every major railway station has an attached reservation office. Satellite reservation offices may be located throughout many metropolises. You must complete a reservation form containing your travel and personal details to book tickets at PRS counters. The counter staff will issue tickets based on availability. Reservation counters for Indian Railways are open Monday to Saturday from 8 am to 8 pm and on Sundays, they’re open from 8 am to 2 pm.

Railway Reservation Online via IRCTC

IRCTC is the official partner for Indian Railways in online train booking. IRCTC Next Generation eTicketing System, the official website, and IRCTC Rail Connect, the official app, are all ways to reserve online train tickets. The ticket is known as eTicket, or Electronic Reservation Slips (ERS). To use the IRCTC reservation services, you must be registered. These services are available throughout the day, with the exception of 11:45 pm to 12:20 am (IST) every night.

Tatkal and Premium Tatkal Tickets Reservation

Tatkal is a booking scheme for tickets that allows passengers the option to reserve tickets up to a day in advance of their journey date by paying a fee. Premium Tatkal reservation (PT) is a variation of Tatkal that uses a dynamic pricing scheme where ticket prices can change based on demand. Tatkal tickets are available online and at PRS counters, while PT tickets are only available online. Tatkal reservations begin at 10:00 am for AC classes and 11:00 am for non-AC classes. Tatkal Ticket Reservation.

Advance Reservation Period

The ARP for General Quota Bookings is 60 days before the date of the journey, excluding the journey date. The ARP for Tatkal and Premium Tatkal reservations is one day prior to the date of the journey, excluding the journey date. Some trains, like mountain trains and special trains, have ARPs that are less than 120 days. Foreigners and NRIs are allowed to book tickets through the Foreign Tourist Quota up to 365 days before the trip.

Reserved Class Travel

All classes of travel, except for the Unreserved or General class, are eligible for reservation. Reservations are available for AC First Class, AC 2 Tier, or AC 3 Tier. Also, AC Chair car, Executive Chair car, Sleeper, First Class, and Second Seating. For all classes, except 1 AC, a confirmed train booking will always include a coach and seat number. Seats will only be allocated for 1 AC bookings when the chart has been prepared. Click here to learn more about Indian Railways’ travel classes.

Train Reservation Quotas

Indian Railways have different reservation quotas. Some are available to everyone, while others are restricted to certain groups. The General Quota allows anyone to book tickets, while the Lower Berth Quota is only open to senior citizens/pregnant/45+ year old women/women. Click here to learn more about Indian Railways’ reservation quotas.

Automatic Upgradation in Indian Railway

The auto-upgrade scheme allows passengers on the Waitlist who have already paid their full fare to travel without additional charges in a higher class. Auto upgradation is only available at the time of booking and will only be done if there are seats in a higher class. The auto-upgrade is only for one class higher than your original travel class. If you have a sleeper-class ticket on the Waitlist, you’ll be upgraded to a 3 AC. Passengers who have waitlisted tickets in 3 AC or 2 AC will be upgraded to 2 AC and 1 AC, respectively. You can keep checking your pnr status to know the exact status of booking.

VIKALP Scheme for Railway Reservation

VIKALP is a reservation scheme that allows passengers on a waitlist to choose seats confirmed in alternative trains on the same route on the same date. This service is free and subject to the availability of seats and trains. When booking your ticket, you can select VIKALP and choose the optional trains that suit your needs. This scheme may change your boarding and destination points to a station nearby. You lose your right to board the original train once you are assigned a seat on an alternate train.

Foreign Railway Reservation

The IRCTC website allows foreigners and NRIs to book tickets for 2 AC, 1 AC, and Executive travel classes. Foreigners and NRIs can only book under the Foreign Tourist quota. The reservation process for Indian citizens is identical. They are also charged a registration fee of Rs 100 plus GST and a booking service fee of Rs 200 + GST. You can pay using credit and debit cards from around the world.

Reservation Rules for Railways

• You can book up to 6 passengers per ticket for the General Quota Reservation. Tatkal reservations are limited to 4 passengers.
• IRCTC users are limited to 6 tickets per ID each month. Users who have verified their Aadhaar accounts are allowed to book 12 tickets for each ID per month.
• Reservations are allowed up until the first chart, usually four hours before the train departs.
• Currently, you can reserve seats for certain trains after the first chart is prepared.

Conclusion

Knowing that the Indian Railways reservation system might be complicated at first. But once you understand these rules, quotas, and options available, booking a train journey becomes smooth. If you’re planning months in advance, trying your luck with a Tatkal ticket, or exploring options like VIKALP and auto-upgrade, the Indian Railway System has a lot to bring to the table. The key is to plan ahead, know your options, and use the tools, like PRS counters or IRCTC online services, smartly. So the next time you’re booking a train, you’ll be doing it like a pro!

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