Tatkal Tickets Booking Timings Changed by Railways

Indian Railways Modified Booking Time for Tatkal Tickets wef July 10, 2012


To stop misuse of Tatkal Ticket Booking, Indian Railways introduces fresh guidelines for Tickets to be booked under Tatkal quota / scheme. Under the new arrangement, Tatkal ticket booking will start at 10:00 a.m. on the previous day of journey from the originating station of the train. Earlier, tatkal booking timings was from 08:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m. before July 10, 2012.


Indian Railway Tatkal Ticket Booking Timing has been revised to ensure delivery of Tatkal train tickets to the needy common man likely to travel on urgent basis. This is good news for rail travelers. Under this new amendment booking of Tatkal tickets will start at 10:00 hours on the previous day of journey from train originating station instead of 08:00 hours at present.

New Guidelines for Booking Tatkal Ticket

According to new guidelines issued for tatkal ticket booking, if a train is to depart from the originating station on the 2nd of the month, the Tatkal quota booking both through internet (IRCTC website) and reservation counters for that particular train shall open at 10:00 hours on the 1st of the month. Moreover, it has also been decided that no authorized agents, including agents of IRCTC and RTSAs / RTAs shall be allowed to book Tatkal tickets from 10:00 hours to 12:00 hours from counters as well as from Internet.

New Arrangement for Tatkal Ticket Booking

At the Zonal Railway and the Divisional Railway level, the local Railway administration is also making arrangements at the reservation counters for orderly implementation of the amendment in the scheme like segregation of Tatkal buyers through separate queues, separate counters etc. as per the local requirement and feasibility. 
Moreover, installation of CCTVs in all major booking centres to monitor any unusual activities, inspection of the reservation centres by the senior officers, display of helpline numbers for complaints, raids by the vigilance squads are some of the measures being taken to prevent misuse of Tatkal facility. The requirement of indicating Mobile number of the passenger in the application form is also being insisted to cross verify the genuineness of the passenger. 
For stopping misuse of booking tatkal tickets, above new measures have been introduced in addition to the measures to revamp Tatkal system from November 2011. Online ticket booking website IRCTC has also implemented additional steps to streamline Tatkal ticket bookings. For any complaint, against the e-ticket agents, one may contact agentcomplaint@irctc.co.in (011-23745962) or care@irctc.co.in (011-39340000). The measures were introduced previously to reduce/minimize the possibility of booking of tickets by touts/miscreants are still continuing. The new guidelines were introduced due to increased complaints from passengers about touts exploiting the loopholes in the tatkal scheme.

So, now you can book your Tatkal Ticket following the new timings/guidelines. Feel free to share your views / comments on new tatkal ticket booking system.