What is a Tatkal Ticket, and how does it work?
People who have imminent travel plans can take advantage of the Tatkal programme, which is a kind of booking quota created by the Indian Railways. It is also frequently utilised by those who were unable to get a guaranteed ticket under the General Quota system. A specific number of seats in a train are reserved for customers who need to travel on short notice under the terms of this plan. People can buy Tatkal tickets on any express or postal train for an extra fee that isn’t included in the normal fare. One day before the chart is made, these seats are open to the public. It is accessible for all travel classes with the exception of Unreserved/General Class (UR/GEN) and reserved First Class (R/F) (1 AC).
Charges for Tatkal Tickets
The cost of tickets purchased through the Tatkal system are much greater than the prices of tickets purchased through the General and other booking quotas. It is chosen how much to charge for Tatkal tickets based on the basic fee Plus a particular percentage of the basic rate, which is the basic fare. In addition, it should be noted that these extra costs are subject to a minimum and maximum fare, which are as follows: 
Making a Reservation for Tatkal Tickets.
You may purchase Tatkal tickets using the official Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation website or the official IRCTC mobile app for Android devices, which is called IRCTC Rail Connect. Alternatively, you can make Tatkal reservations at the PRS (Passenger Reservation System) desks located at train stations nationwide. Despite the fact that it is possible to book Tatkal tickets using third-party applications and websites, these sites and apps must link to the IRCTC in order to complete the transaction.
Timings for Tatkal Reservations.
The following are the dates and times for booking Tatkal tickets:
- All AC sessions, with the exception of AC 1, begin at 10:00 a.m.
- Sleeper (SL) and all other non-AC classes, such as First Class (FC) and reserved Second Seater (RS), will be available from 11:00 a.m. onwards (SS).
Tatkal Tickets are subject to an Advance Reservation Period (ARP).
As previously stated, the Advance Reservation Period (ARP) for Tatkal tickets is one day before the scheduled departure. This is estimated by eliminating the date of the travel, which is decided by the train station from where the train is departing and arriving. Please consider the following two scenarios to help you better grasp the Tatkal Advance Reservation Period:
- If your travel date is September 15, 2022, and you want to take a train that departs on the same day, the deadline to purchase Tatkal tickets is September 14, 2022.
- If your journey date is 15 September 2022 but the train leaves from its source station on 14 September 2020, the date of Tatkal ticket purchase is 13 September 2022, not 14 September 2022.
Concessions and quotas are available under the Tatkal Scheme.
Concessions and quotas that are normally available with General Quota reservations are not permitted with Tatkal. When purchasing Tatkal tickets, all customers, including elderly people, must pay the whole amount up front.
Premium Tatkal (PT).
Premium Tatkal is a new ticketing mechanism implemented by the Indian Railways in 2014. It was first introduced in 2014. Similar to the Tatkal Scheme, it allows passengers to reserve their seats on trains one day in advance of their scheduled departure date. Premium Tatkal reservations, on the other hand, differ from Tatkal bookings in terms of fees, fare calculating mechanism, and a few of the booking conditions.
Premium Tatkal Scheme Has Several Unique Features
- Premium Tatkal Scheme has a dynamic fee structure in which ticket prices increase in response to demand and the amount of seats remaining on a train. Like put it another way, it’s equivalent to making a reservation for a flight.
- While Tatkal tickets may be purchased at counters, through the IRCTC website and mobile app, as well as through third-party websites and apps, Premium Tatkal tickets can only be purchased through the IRCTC website and mobile app. It is not permissible to book premium tickets through agents or other third parties. Bookings at the counter are also not possible.
- Bookings for Premium Tatkal are only possible through e-Tickets. Bookings made using the i-Ticket system are not permitted under this limit.
- Bookings on the Waitlist/RAC are not permitted at PT.
How to Book Tatkal Tickets Step-by-Step Instructions?
You might be wondering how to book Tatkal tickets using the IRCTC website. The following is a step-by-step tutorial to assist you:
Step 1: Navigate to the IRCTC’s official website, which is located at https://www.irctc.co.in/nget/train-search/.
Step 2: If you are a registered member, log in to the site using your login information, such as your username and password, to complete the transaction. In order to progress to the next stages, unregistered users must first register on the site and create a username and password before proceeding to the following steps.
Step 3: Enter your journey information, which includes the name or code of your starting station, the name or code of your ending station, the date and class of travel. Select ‘Find Trains’ from the drop-down menu.
Step 4: You will now be presented with a comprehensive list of trains that operate between the two stations that you have specified. Select ‘Tatkal’ or ‘Premium Tatkal’ from the dropdown menu on the right side of the screen, and then select the travel class of your choice from the list (2 AC, 3 AC, CC, SL, etc.) Click on the ‘Check Availability and Fare’ button next to the train that you wish to purchase your tickets on to see if there are any tickets available.
Step 5: You will now be presented with the Tatkal seat availability for the train and class that you selected. You also have the option to check for availability on other trains and alternate classes at this point in the process. To make a reservation, click on the ‘Book Now’ option.
Step 6: Enter the passenger’s or passengers’ information, such as their name, age, gender, berth choice, meal preference (if applicable for specific trains), and so on.
Step 7: Go over your reservation again.
Step 8: Make your payment using your preferred means of payment, such as debit cards, net banking, digital wallets, debit cards, and so on.
