New Tatkal ticket rules from April 15? Here's what IRCTC has to say

Amid viral social media posts claiming that Indian Railways had changed the Tatkal ticket booking timings starting April 15, the Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) has issued a firm clarification denying any such update.

In an official statement, IRCTC stated that "no such change in timings is currently proposed in the Tatkal or Premium Tatkal booking timings for AC or Non-AC classes," and added that "the permitted booking timings for agents also remain unchanged." The clarification was prompted after several misleading posts suggested revised booking hours for Tatkal and Premium Tatkal tickets across travel classes.

Currently, Tatkal e-tickets can be booked one day in advance of the journey (excluding the date of travel) from the train's originating station.

Bookings open at 10:00 AM IST for AC classes (2A, 3A, CC, EC, 3E) and at 11:00 AM IST for non-AC classes (SL, FC, 2S). Tatkal tickets, which offer last-minute travel options at a premium, are not available in First AC. The extra charges are levied at 10% of the basic fare for second class and 30% for all other classes, subject to minimum and maximum limits. It’s important to note that confirmed Tatkal tickets are non-refundable.

However, in cases of waitlisted or contingent cancellations, applicable deductions are made as per existing railway rules.

How to book tatkal tickets

The booking process has been simplified on both the IRCTC website and mobile app:

• Visit [www.irctc.co.in](http://www.irctc.co.in) or open the IRCTC app  
• Select your train and preferred class (AC or Non-AC)  
• Choose the “Tatkal” quota  
• Enter passenger details and valid ID proof number  
• Proceed to payment to confirm the booking  

What’s new

• Passenger details auto-filled for registered users  
• Payment timeout extended to 5 minutes (from 3 minutes)  
• Captcha process simplified for faster booking  
• Unified login across app and website
• Only 4 passengers per Tatkal PNR  
• No fare concessions allowed under Tatkal quota  
• Carry valid ID proof during travel