I am going on my first train journey for which I need to book a train ticket. I have never booked a train ticket online so I would like some guidance on how to book a train ticket online? I did visit the IRCTC website but didn't have a clue where to start from. I would appreciate it if I was given a step by step procedure on how to book a train ticket.
Hello there, welcome to the forum! The Indian Railways Catering and Tourism Corporation website can truly be confusing, especially for a first time user. Thus, you need some research and many patience when it comes to understanding the site. So for ease and convenience, I'm going to divide this guide into two parts. The first part is the procedures for registering an account with the IRCTC website and the second part is the online booking process proper. Registration Procedures for the IRCTC Website Go to the IRCTC website and click on the Sign Up button. You would then be redirected to the Registration Form. Input all necessary information, starting with the Username. It will also ask about your Email Address and Mobile Number, make sure both are working and accessible by you since your Activation Link and Verification Code will be sent to them. After completing the form, click the Submit link, then click on Okay. Once prompted to accept the set conditions, click Accept. Now, open your Email Address as the Activation Link would be there. Click on the Activation Link. The link would ask for the Verification Code, which was sent to your mobile number, so input that and click Submit. Voila, you have registered and now have a working IRCTC account. Make sure you keep your username, password and other account details information. If possible, save them somewhere so even if you forget them, you can retrieve them. So next, you need to book an Indian Railways ticket online. Here are the procedures for that: IRCTC Ticket Booking Procedures Online Go to the IRCTC website and login with your account details. A new page will appear which is the Plan My Travel page. Select your source (where you come from) in the From Station part and select your destination (where you want to go) in the To Station part. Then, input your Date of Journey as well, which can be as early as three months before your preferred schedule. From the Ticket Type list, select whether you'd like an e-Ticket or an i-Ticket. The difference between the two is that an e-Ticket can be printed at home and also cancelled online. Whereas an i-Ticket will be delivered to you via courier and you can only cancel it via the ticketing counters of the IRCTC. It's better to just choose the e-Ticket option as it's more convenient and can also be cancelled online. Then, choose your Quota, which can be General (normal), Tatkal (urgent booking for a higher fee) or Ladies (for women only). Then, click on Find Trains. Then, it will locate the available trains in accordance with the date and other requirements you have specified. Choose a Train that is appropriate for you and then the Class type. It will then show a page with the Available, Waitlisted and Reservation Against Cancellation seats. Click Book on whichever seat you prefer. You would then be redirected to the Ticket Reservation page. Fill out the details asked here and you can also book up to six persons for the General Quota and up to four persons for the Tatkal Quota. After completing the information, input your mobile number at the end of the page. Make sure it's working as the ticket details will be sent to your phone number. Enter the captcha or verification code and click on the Go button. It will redirect you to the Payment page and you can choose your payment mode. Click the Make Payment link and it will redirect you again to the payment site. After making the payment, you would receive an email that you can print out or you can just show the text message that was sent to you to the train officer along with one valid identification card like PAN Card or Voter Card. If you chose the i-Ticket, then the ticket will be delivered to the address you have given in the reservation form. To keep track of your ticket status, take down the Transaction ID and PNR given to you. This way, you can be updated about the status of your ticket. You can also opt to book train tickets through other websites, but they have a service fee that you would need to pay. In addition, there are new restrictions when it comes to online booking: Restrictions for Online Ticket Booking in the IRCTC (Effective since February 2016) For the Advanced Reservation, only two ticket reservations per day from 8:00 am to 10:00 am are allowed for each user. For the Tatkal Quota, only two ticket reservations per day from 10:00 am to 12:00 pm are allowed for each user. Only one booking for each user for one login session is allowed, except for return journey from 8:00 am to 12:00 pm everyday. There's a maximum of six ticket reservations for each user allowed for each month. Quick Booking Option is disabled everyday from 8:00 am to 12:00 pm. There you go, I hope this guide would be helpful to you. Good luck!
