Guide to Booking Indian Railways Train Tickets Online

Confused about how to make an Indian Railways reservation for train travel in India? Indian Railways requires reservations on all classes of travel except general class. There are a few ways to make a reservation—online or in person at a travel agency or Indian Railways booking counter.

Reservation Options

Online reservations are conducted via the IRCTC Online Passenger Reservation website. Moreover, travel portals such as Cleartrip.com, Makemytrip.com, and Yatra.com offer user-friendly online train reservations, although they may levy a service charge and not all trains are displayed.

As of May 2016, foreign tourists can reserve tickets on the IRCTC website using international cards. This is facilitated through Atom, a new online payments platform. However, foreigners must have an account verified by Indian Railways, which can now be completed online using an international cell phone number and email address, along with a registration fee of 100 rupees. Additionally, Indian Railways now allows foreigners to make online bookings under the Foreign Tourist Quota, effective from July 2017.

Find Your Train

1. Indian Railways has introduced a new “Plan My Journey” facility on the IRCTC website. Click on it at the top left side of the screen after you’ve logged in.
2. Enter the details of your departure station, destination station, and journey date.
3. If there are no direct trains available, an error message will prompt you to try different station names. Otherwise, you’ll see a list of trains refined by type and class of travel.
4. Select the desired train and class, then check the availability of beds along with the fare.
5. In the case of no availability on your selected train, options will show as Reservation Against Cancellation (RAC) or Waitlist (WL). You can still book an RAC ticket, which guarantees a seat but not necessarily a bed unless there are cancellations. With a Waitlist ticket, boarding the train depends on available cancellations.
6. Once a suitable train is found, click on “Book” under “Availability.” You will be directed to the ticket reservation page with prefetched train details. Fill in passenger information and proceed to payment.
7. A similar process can be done without logging in at the Indian Railways Passenger Reservation Inquiry website. Click on “Seat Availability” at the top of the screen. An Indian Railways Trains at a Glance timetable is available, although it may require extensive navigation!

For Reservations Online

Log onto the IRCTC website. If you have your train details and are an Indian resident, click on the “Quick Book” tab at the top left side of the screen. For foreigners, select “Foreign Tourist Ticket Booking” under “Services.” Input the necessary train details, choose e-ticket, and click “Submit.” Complete the electronic reservation form and scroll down to the “Payment Option” section.

Choose your payment method and click “Make Payment.” If using an international credit or debit card, select the ‘International cards powered by Atom’ option under ‘Payment Gateway/Credit Card’. Your transaction will be processed, and you’ll receive a booking confirmation, which should be printed and carried for travel.

For Reservations Over the Counter

If booking over the counter, print the reservation form. Complete it and take it to a reservation office, or obtain a form at the office and fill it out there. Foreign tourists should preferably visit the International Tourist Bureaus located in major cities for more efficient service. Payment can be made using US dollars, UK pounds, Euros, or Indian rupees along with an Encashment Certificate if purchasing a ticket on-site.

Tips for Making Reservations

1. All reservations receive a 10-digit PNR number, which can be checked for status on the IRCTC website by clicking “Check PNR Status” under the “Enquiries” section.
2. Cancellations are frequent, particularly within 24 hours of departure. If waitlisted, your best chance of getting a sleeper class bed lies in the RAC category due to the higher volume of cancellations. Find out if your Indian Railways Waitlist Ticket will be confirmed.
3. The IRCTC website undergoes daily maintenance from 11:45 p.m. to 12:20 a.m. IST, during which services are inaccessible.
4. The “Quick Book” option is disabled from 8 a.m. to noon; instead, select “Ticket Booking” under “Services.”
5. Booking in advance is highly recommended (up to 120 days prior to departure), especially during peak travel periods. Prepare for flexibility concerning travel dates, times, and class of accommodation, as demand often outstrips availability.
6. Booking online is advisable to sidestep the frustrating bureaucracy of Indian travel. However, the IRCTC website can be occasionally problematic. It’s common to encounter error messages during the payment process. If this occurs, refreshing the browser or restarting the transaction can help; patience is essential.
7. Sometimes the station name differs from the place name (for instance, Kolkata/Calcutta’s main railway station is named Howrah), necessitating some research. Use the Indian Railways Trains at a Glance timetable to assist with this.
8. Indian Railways has several quota schemes. Last-minute bookings through a “Tatkal” Quota are available for popular trains, releasing beds for reservation 24 hours before travel. Foreigners may also take advantage of the Foreign Tourist Quota during peak seasons. Taktal bookings open daily at 10 a.m. More details can be found in the Tatkal booking steps online.

What You Need

• Train name and number, along with boarding and departure details.
• Passport or other valid identification.
• Credit or debit card (for online bookings).
• Reservation form (for counter bookings).

For more travel tips and resources, explore other relevant guides and articles about Indian travel.