We all are familiar with the struggle of getting a confirmed ticket in Indian Railways, especially when it comes to emergencies or spontaneously planned vacations. This is where ‘Tatkal’ tickets come in handy. As the name suggests, a tatkal ticket lets you book a seat on the train you want just a day before the date of travel.
The process of getting a tatkal railway ticket starts just a day before the journey, with the slot for third AC (3AC) and above starting at 10 AM, while sleeper class tickets start selling at 11 AM. However, trains that have a tatkal quota only have a few seats reserved in AC and Non-AC compartments. Also, the window for these tickets are open only for one hour and is limited to four seats per PNR. Keep in mind that tatkal tickets can be cancelled but you won’t get any refund. Here are some of the ways you can book a tatkal ticket online.
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How to book a tatkal ticket on IRCTC
Undoubtedly, the best way to get a tatkal ticket is from the IRCTC website. In case you don’t have an account, make sure to sign up for the service from the IRCTC home page.
1. Once done, click on the ‘Plan My Journey’ page and fill in the ‘From Station’ and ‘To Station’ options.
2. Now, select the ‘Journey Date’ and choose the ticket as ‘E-ticket’. Click on the ‘Submit’ button and you will be presented will a list of trains that travel from your place to your destination.
3. On the top of the train list, you will see an option called ‘Select Quota’. Here, select ‘Tatkal’ and the website will show you trains that have a tatkal quota.
4. Find the train you want to travel in and you will be able to see the availability. If a tatkal ticket is available, click on the ‘Book Now’ button.
5. A new window will now appear asking you to enter the details of the passengers such as their name, age, berth preference and other options. You can also click on the ‘Consider for Auto Upgradation’ to automatically upgrade your class after the train chart is prepared.
6. After you type in all the required details, enter the case-sensitive captcha and the mobile number on which you want to receive train details at the bottom of the page.
7. Now, make the payments from your preferred payment options and you are good to go.
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How to book a tatkal ticket on MakeMyTrip
MakeMyTrip is one of the few third-party services that has partnered up with IRCTC and allows users to book tatkal tickets. You will still need an IRCTC account to book your ticket, so make sure you have signed up on the website and remember your account name and password. To book a tatkal ticket from MakeMyTrip, you need to log in to your IRCTC account from the MakeMyTrip railways page.
1. After logging in using IRCTC credentials, select the source and destination stations along with the date of the journey.
2. Now, in the Quota tab, select tatkal and search for trains. When you find the train you want to board, click on the ‘Book Now’ button.
3. The next page will ask you to fill in passenger details like name, age, gender and more. Once done, select your preferred payment method, pay for the ticket and you are good to go.
The process is more or less similar on other third-party websites like Goibibo, Ixigo, PayTM and others.
