Emergency Tatkal train tickets Reservation Indian Railway

Tatkal booking is offered in Indian Railways to help the passengers to travel in urgency. A specific number of tickets are kept aside exclusively for this purpose. Tatkal ticket can be booked only two days in advance prior to your journey. Usually railway tickets can be booked as early as three months in advance for a planned journey. But there are occasions one
has to travel on an emergency such as for a hospital visit, to attend an interview, or for any other personal or business purpose, and the traveler could not plan it in advance and reserve the railway ticket. Tatkal is a blessing in such occasions. Tatkal bookings are available only in certain trains, not all. Tatkal tickets are allowed in all classes except First AC.

• Tatkal ticket booking facility is available in selected trains only.
• Tatkal bookings are allowed in all classes (except First AC and Executive class)
• No concession is allowed in Tatkal booking, which is applicable to Sr. citizens also. Everyone will have to pay the full charges.
• Tatkal tickets will be issued for actual distance of travel, instead of end-to-end, subject to the distance restriction applicable to the train.
• For Tatkal tickets, at least one person to carry original ID card at the time of journey. If the Identity card holder decides to cancel his journey. all the berths reserved by him will also be cancelled.
• Identity proof (with photo) is required while traveling, if the tickets are booked online. If the tatkal tickets are booked at the railway counter no identity proof is required.
• Reservation under this scheme would be offered till the time of charts preparation.
• One cannot opt for Ladies and General quota with 'Tatkal' quota.
• Change of name is not allowed on the bookings made under this scheme.
• No refund would be granted on the confirmed 'Tatkal' tickets, if cancelled within 24 hrs of the scheduled departure.
• Tatkal tickets will be issued for actual distance of travel, instead of end-to-end, subject to the distance restriction applicable to the train.
• At the time of preparation of charts, unutilized portion may be released to the General RAC/Waiting list passengers.
• As of February 11th 2011, the passenger will be required to furnish ID such as a PAN Card, Passport, Driver's License, etc. during the actual journey

Since there are only few tickets available on tatkal booking, one has to be at the railway station ticket booking counter before 8 a.m. two days prior to the actual travel. The ticket booking starts at 8 a.m. and within no time the tickets will be sold out.

Tatkal Booking charges

10 %of the basic fare for second class and 30% of the basic fare for second class and 30% of the basic fare for all other classes subject to minimum and maximum as noted below, in rupees:-

Second(sitting) min 10:00 max 15:00
Sleeper min 75:00 max 150:00
AC Chair Car min 75:00 max 150:00
AC 3 Tier min 200:00 max 300:00
AC 2 Tier min 200:00 max 300:00
Executive min 200:00 max 300:00

Rs 200 to Rs 300 in AC for each tatkal ticket

Rs 75 to Rs 150 for sleeper class for each ticket.

Tatkal tickets can also be booked through online at the railway website, with a credit card.
http://www.indianrail.gov.in/tatkal.html

Before starting your online booking, it is better to keep all the required information handy such as -

From station code:

To station code:

Train No.

Name of the person traveling etc.

Tatkal booking online is also not very easy. Since large number of people will be trying to book these emergency tickets the site will be often too crowded. Tatkal booking can also be done through online sites like yatra.com, makemytrip.com, cleartrip.com etc.

According to the recent news, the Department of e-Governance has introduced an innovative way of ticket booking. In Bangalore, this facility is available in 70 BangaloreOne centers. Cancellation is also possible in these centers.

For some unexpected reasons you may have to cancel your journey and cancel the tatkal ticket. Upon cancelling, a refund of 25% of total fare charged on the ticket, will be received. The tatkal booking charge will not be refunded. To get back, the 25% refund, one has to cancel the ticket 24 hours before the departure of the train.