New Tatkal Ticket Rules: What is the meaning of the word ‘junk’ in any train, even though the additional duty is to be paid? During the holiday season, the importance of an immediate ticket becomes more important, because tourists and travelers are trying to get confirmed tickets. Effective from 2018, Indian Railways introduced a series of new immediate rules, which were changed to provide maximum comfort and ease to the passengers.
New Tatkal Ticket Rules 2018
Now, with the summer holidays beginning with the holiday season in India, it is important for you to update the new rules.
Tatkal Ticket Booking Timing?
Tatkal tickets can be booked a day prior to the departure of the train from its origin station.
- AC Train Tickets timing 10 am start.
- Non AC Train Tickets timing 11 am start.
Booked Railway Ticket Cancellation Charges?
Tatkal tickets cannot cancelled.
However, there are some exceptions: If the train is lying for more than three hours, then the passenger can cancel the ticket and claim the full refund.
In addition, if the train route is changed or changed for any reason, and if the traveler does not want to travel on that route, cancellation is possible, with 100% refund.
Now, if the route is isolated, and the passenger’s boarding or destination points are not in the new route, then it is possible to cancel the ticket immediately, with a 100% refund.
If the passenger is allocated in the lower berth, it is possible to cancel.
Tatkal Ticket Booking Charges?
Now, the most important aspect: Tatkal charges.
As a basic rule, Tatkal is always 10% of the basic are of 2nd class, and 30% of the basic fare for all other classes.
Here is the chart, which will help you further:
| Class of Travel | Minimum Tatkal Charge | Maximum Tatkal Charge | Minimum Distance for Charge in Kms |
| SS – Second (Sitting) | 10 | 15 | 100 |
| SL – Sleeper Class | 100 | 200 | 500 |
| AC- AC Chair Car | 125 | 225 | 250 |
| 3rd AC | 300 | 400 | 500 |
| 2nd AC | 400 | 500 | 500 |
| 1st AC | 400 | 500 | 250 |
Besides, for premium trains like Shatabdi, Rajdhani, Indian Railways has already introduced dynamic pricing, which is based on the demand and supply rule: Higher the demand for berths in a particular route, higher the charges.
How to get a confirmed tatkal ticket?
- Have all the details: Tatkal tickets are sold off very quickly and people attempting to book these tickets, should keep all the relevant information, like passenger information, travel details, ready and upload it as soon as possible.
- Master list: In order to create a master list you will have to visit the IRCTC website and search for the ‘My Profile’ section and create a Master List which will have all the details of the passenger and comes in handy for future bookings. When you want to buy a tatkal ticket for a trip, create a separate ‘Travel List.’
- Station Codes: Make sure to check the station codes before initiating an IRCTC Tatkal booking session, you must know about the source and destination stations, as well as the station codes. If you start looking for the station codes while booking the ticket, you might miss the chance to get the tickets.
- Berth Preferences: Make sure to add your berth preferences. Most of the times the lower berths are not available. Moreover, ticket booking is easier with no berth preferences.
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