I would like to book a train ticket from Delhi to Shimla but would like to include the toy train journey from Kalka to Shimla. As the journey from Delhi to Shimla would include traveling on two different trains, I would like to know how to book connecting train ticket in IRCTC which would include the journey from Delhi to Kalka then from Kalka to Shimla?
Hello, welcome to the forum! Overview In some instances, there are routes that are not directly covered by a specific train in the Indian Railways. So for example, you need to reach Station C, but there are no direct trains from Station A to Station C. Therefore, you need to take a train which takes you from Station A to Station B and another train which takes you from Station B to Station C. Such indirect routes are called Onward Journey, wherein you need to board different trains to reach your terminating station. Fortunately, you can book for Onward Journey Tickets through the Indian Railways booking counters for a hassle-free and smoother travel. Below, we would highlight the requirements and the procedures for booking such tickets. Eligibility for Booking an Onward Journey Ticket To be eligible for booking an Onward Journey Ticket, you need to fulfil the requirements below. If ever you cannot fulfil any of the following requirements, then you won't be eligible for the booking of the Onward Journey Ticket. 1. To differentiate Onward Journey from Break Journey, the former involves halting at an intermediate station not exceeding 24 hours while the latter involves halting at an intermediate station for more than 24 hours. Thus, to be eligible for an Onward Journey Ticket, you need to make sure that your halt or stopover at the intermediate station is not for more than 24 hours. 2. The total distance covered should not exceed the total distance plus 15% of the shortest distance between the originating station and the terminating station. So for example, say you want to reach Bangalore from Mumbai through Onward Journey. The shortest distance covered by the direct train for this route is 1,134 kilometres (Mumbai LTT Coimbatore Kurla Express Train No. 11013). The 15% of this distance is 170 kilometres so you need to add that to the total distance, giving you 1,304 kilometres. Now, for your Onward Journey, you need to pick two trains that won't exceed the 1,304 kilometres distance. (Mumbai to Pune) Mumbai LTT Kakinada Port Express Train No. 17222 at 173 Kilometres + (Pune to Bangalore) Rajkot Coimbatore Express Train No. 16613 at 950 Kilometres = 1,123 Kilometres (Acceptable) (Mumbai to Pune) Udyan Express Train No. 11301 at 189 Kilometres + (Pune to Bangalore) Ajmer Bengaluru Garib Nawaz Express Train No. 16531 at 1,110 Kilometres = 1,299 Kilometres (Acceptable) 3. For the Onward Journey, special trains like Rajdhani, Duronto, Shatabdi, Jan Shatabdi, Yuva and Garib Rath ones are not eligible for booking. Unfortunately, even toy trains are included in the restrictions, so your journey from Delhi to Shimla via Kalka is also not acceptable for the Onward Journey Ticket. Alternatively, you can still book for separate tickets for the journey from Delhi to Kalka and from Kalka to Shimla. 4. Since the Onward Journey Ticket falls under the Telescopic Fare Rate, wherein the longer the distance of travel is, the higher the discounted fare becomes, you also cannot the board same train on the same day to reach your terminating station. 5. It is possible to book for different classes of seats in the two trains but you would need to pay for the higher class of seat. So for example, if from the Mumbai to Pune route, you have booked a 3A seat and from the Pune to Bangalore route, you have booked an SL seat, you would need to pay for the former for the whole train journey proper. 6. Finally, to be able to book for an Onward Journey Ticket, you need to reach the nearest PRS Counter to you. Onward Journey Tickets cannot be booked online through the IRCTC website or any other affiliated booking website. Procedures for Booking Onward Journey Ticket (PRS Counter) 1. Go to the nearest PRS Counter to your home or hotel's address. Alternatively, if you're from abroad, you can utilise the help of a local to reserve the ticket for you prior to your journey. In the PRS Counter, obtain a Reservation Form, which you would find in a small box in the counter premises. This Reservation Form is just a thin piece of paper, which you need to fill out with various details about yourself and train journey. 2. To help you understand how to fill out the Reservation Form, you can refer to the image and guide below. This is just a sample Reservation Form with some sample details. You need to fill it out with regards to your very own journey and personal details. Since the Delhi to Shimla journey is not eligible for the Onward Journey Ticket, we can utilise the other example above, the Mumbai to Bangalore route. So let's say you want to break your journey from Mumbai to Pune and then from Pune to Bangalore. You need to fill in the Reservation Form as above. For example, let's say you would be using two trains for this journey: For the Mumbai to Pune Route - Mumbai LTT Kakinada Port Express Train No. 17222 For the Pune to Bangalore Route - Rajkot Coimbatore Express Train No. 16613 For the Train Number and Name section, highlighted in red, write down the name of the first train, which is the Mumbai LTT Kakinada Port Express Train No. 17222. For the Class of seat, highlighted in yellow, write down your preferred seat, which is SL in this case. On the right sections, also write down the Date of Journey as well as the Number of Berths or Seats you're reserving. Now, you would see the purple highlighted sections, which are the Station From and Station To sections. You need to write down the originating station, which is the Lokmanya Tilak Terminus (LTT) in the Station From section. Then, for the Station To section, write down Krishnarajapuram (KJM). Onto the next sections, just write down the Name of the Passengers, Gender, Age and choose the preferred Berths plus Meals. On the Onward Journey details, you need to write down the details of the second train journey, which is the Rajkot Coimbatore Express Train No. 16613, for the Pune to Bangalore route. After writing down that Train Number and Name, also write down your preferred Seat, SL in this case and then the Date of Journey. For the Station From section, write down Pune Junction (PUNE), which is where the second train departs from. For the Station To section, write down Krishnarajapuram (KJM), which is the terminating station. Write down the Name of the Passenger, then the Address and then Sign the Reservation Form. 3. Once you have completed the Reservation Form, submit it to the clerk in the PRS Counter. Make sure you mention that you mention that you want a Through Ticket, which is what Onward Journey Tickets are referred to in the Indian Railways. You can also avail of the Telescopic Fare Discount by mentioning it to the clerk. If the details you have provided are accurate and goes well with the system, your Onward Journey Ticket would then be generated. 4. Though not necessary, you can have your ticket endorsed by the station manager at the intermediate station where you're alighting. This way, you can avoid any issues when you are ready to board your next train. Conclusion I hope this guide helps you. Though you cannot book for an Onward Journey Ticket via the IRCTC website or other train ticket booking website, the process to book for it personally via the PRS Counter isn't too complicated. Just follow the steps above and you can book for your connecting train ticket for two stations that are not directly connected by train. Even for some stations that have direct connections, you can also book for an Onward Journey Ticket. Good luck and enjoy your trip to India!
