Tips to Book IRCTC Train Tickets on Festivals
The festive season is about to begin, and on festivals, everyone tries a confirmed ticket to go home. Some people book tickets on time. But, some people's plans are made suddenly. In such a situation, there is an option to book tickets on Tatkal. But getting tickets on busy routes of Indian Railways is not easy.
Booking train tickets on the IRCTC website during festivals sometimes proves quite difficult. Many times, we make some mistake due to which a confirmed ticket is not available.
IRCTC's new e-ticketing website has made it much easier to book tickets than the older site. Apart from train ticket booking, Tatkal train ticket booking, train ticket price, e-ticket cancellation, train ticket enquiry, this website provides many more services to the users.
The number of empty berths in the train rapidly decreases or ends during festivals. In such a situation, many users are unable to book confirmed tickets to go to their homes in these festivals. That is why, today, we are going to tell you how to book confirmed tickets from IRCTC during festivals.
How to Book Train Tickets Online
Tricks to Book Irctc Train Ticket Online
1. Tatkal Ticket Booking
Tatkal tickets can be booked one day before the journey at 10 a.m. for AC class and 11 a.m. for sleeper class. The number of Tatkal tickets is limited, and the demand is very high. So it is not easy to book tickets. But, if you use some tips and tricks, then you can book your ticket from IRCTC. The special thing is that with these tips, your ticket will be booked first.
Tricks for Booking Tatkal Tickets
i. Use of Master List
The master list is the list where you can save their details according to the number of passengers already. Save the details in the master list on the IRCTC website. You can save details of passengers in the “My Profile” section of the IRCTC account. With this, you will need only one click to fill in the details of the passengers, and your time will be saved.
ii. OTP-Free Payment Gateway
Internet banking is considered the fastest option for the payment of IRCTC train ticket booking. But, if you want, you can choose such an option for payment, for which OTP is not required, such as e-wallet, Paytm, and UPI. This will not delay ticket booking.
iii. Internet Speed
High-speed internet is needed before booking a ticket. Because the website takes a lot of time to load, in such a situation, there is an error in booking several times due to speed slowing. Payment can fail during ticket booking. In such a case, tickets could not get booked.
iv. Prepare Booking in Advance
Your speed is also essential for booking Tatkal tickets, i.e., knowing which tab is there and how to follow the instruction. For this, prepare booking tickets in advance.
v. Log in Already
Log in 1-2 minutes before the instant quota opens. Select the station code and berth first. After this, immediately after opening the quota, select the names of the passengers from the master list and go directly to the payment option.
vi. Keep Payment Details Handy
Keep all bank details with you for payment. If possible, use an internet banking or OTP-based payment option. Keep the registered mobile with you for OTP verification.
vii. Use Two Browsers
To increase ticket booking chances, do not log in on two different browsers with the same ID. If one browser does not work, try another.
viii. Try on a More Quota Train
Some IRCTC train tickets are booked first. If you also want a confirmed ticket, you can try another train first. Book the ticket on the train, which has the highest quota of Tatkal tickets.
By adopting these tricks, you can get instant tickets.
2. General Quota Ticket Booking
General Quota tickets can be booked 120 days before the journey. Here are the steps to book tickets on a train:
- Go to the IRCTC website.
- Login to the website with a username and password.
- OTP or captcha-code can also be used for login. The OTP will be sent to your registered mobile number.
- Enter the station between which you have to travel, instead of 'Source Station' and 'Destination Station'. You will get this option after clicking or tapping 'Book Your Ticket' on the homepage of IRCTC.
- Enter the date of travel and the class of train in which you want to travel.
- After this, you have to click on 'Find Trains'.
- By doing this, a list of trains that run on that route will appear on your screen.
- By clicking on 'Check availability and fare', you can find the empty berth and fare on that train. Here, you will see all classes' option (First AC, Second AC, Third AC, Sleeper, etc.).
- Choose the train you want to travel with. If there is room in that train, then click on 'Book Now'.
- After this, the option of 'OK' will appear in a new dialogue box. You have to click on it.
- You have to enter your details here or for whom you are booking tickets.
- After entering the verification code, click on 'Continue booking'.
- On the Review Booking page, click once again on the Continuous Booking.
- With this, you will come to the payment option. Here you can make payment by credit card, debit card, net banking, or mobile wallet at your convenience.
After completion of the payment, IRCTC train ticket confirmation page will open on your screen, and a virtual reservation message will be sent to your phone in the form of SMS stating: “Please tell me that the SMS will be sent to the same number that you entered while booking the ticket.” If you have not entered any other number, then the message will come to your registered mobile number. Apart from this, the booked ticket will also reach your email. Just below the booked ticket, you will get the option of 'Print E-Ticket'. From here you can take a printout of your ticket.
Abbreviations Used in Indian Railway Ticket Booking
In Indian railway ticket reservation, certain abbreviations are used to indicate the status of your booking. These include:
- CNF (Confirmed)
- RAC (Reservation against Cancellation)
- GNWL (General Waitlist)
- CKWL/TQWL (Tatkal Waitlist)
- RLWL (Remote Location Waitlist)
- PQWL (Pooled Quota Waitlist)
- RSWL (Roadside Waitlist)
- RLGN (Remote Location General Waiting List)
- RQWL (Request Waitlist)
- REGRET
If you want to know more about the Indian railway Train schedule, Train Route Information, PNR Status and many more, then download the railway food app, RailMitra.
Hungry On the Train? Order These Top 10 Indian Food on the Train via RailMitra
Train travel is the most preferred mode of travelling in India. Train journeys are fun as you meet new people, watch passing landscapes and the food hawkers selling foods on the train. The railway journey is incomplete without food on Indian trains; hence Indians always carry extra bags of the best train foodstuff to make their train trips exciting. The railway stations and platforms are also laced with varieties of Indian cuisines and street foods.
Many Indian train stations are famous for their regional delicacies like Poha at Ratlam junction, Jhal Muri at Howrah junction, Mirchi Bajji at Jodhpur Station and Litti Chokha at Patna junction. But, nothing can complement the fresh, hot and tasty restaurant-style food served directly at your seat. So, you can order food on trains with ease and enjoy your favourite spicy Indian dishes like Rajma Chawal, Malai Kofta, Chicken Tikka Masala or Palak Paneer, whenever you want at your desired station.
Top 10 Indian Food for Train Travel
1. Butter Chicken
Butter Chicken! The name alone can make you need to appreciate this mainstream Indian dish. Butter chicken keeps on being a hit among Indians, mainly due to its authentic taste. The chicken is marinated and cooked in tomato puree, milk, butter and a significant amount of spices.
The north-Indian style chicken recipe is prepared with equal zest all over the country. You can order it in trains with either cooked rice or naan.
2. Malai Kofta
Delicious, creamy, mild and slightly sweet paneer dish, Malai Kofta Curry is a mouth-watering Indian cuisine. It is a perfect vegetarian alternative to meatballs. It is worth the flavorful and creamy results, which please vegetarians looking for a filling dish.
Potatoes, vegetables, paneer, heavy cream, and spices are mixed well and shaped into Kofta balls. Then, the Koftas are deep-fried and served in seasoned gravy. All the Indian restaurants partnered with RailMitra, exclusively curate Malai Kofta in their menu list.
3. Palak Paneer
Palak Paneer is an Indian cuisine from North India. The lightly flavoured dish is super healthy too and pleases the taste buds. The delicious Palak Paneer is made with cottage cheese cooked in a smooth spinach curry, indeed a decadent preparation.
It tastes best with some Matar Pulao, Roti, Garlic Naan or Paratha and Chilled Cucumber Raita, a divine combination to savour during a train journey.
4. Rajma
Healthy, tasty and very popular, Rajma is a famous Indian dish served directly over plain rice. Toasted and fried with onions, garlic, and zingy spices, Rajma imparts a mesmerizing aroma and spell-binding flavour that you cannot resist at one serving.
This food is served hot along with plain Rice or Chapati. Treat yourselves to a Rajma feast by ordering Rajma on the train.
5. Mattar Paneer
The Mattar refers to peas, and the paneer relates to a piece of cottage cheese. Mattar paneer is a dish made of fried paneer chunks, sauteed with peas, infused with a touch of cream, assortments of Indian spices, and thick tomato-based gravy.
It is a tasty curry that can be served at dinner or lunch. This delicious dish can go well with Parathas, Naan or Jeera Rice.
6. Kaali Daal (Black Lentils)
Kaali daal is among the wholesome, comforting, and delicious meals on trains. Lentils are soaked overnight before being cooked along with onion, green chillies, and asafoetida until tender.
The lentil is seasoned with tomato gravy, Indian spices and a touch of cream. The cumin seeds roasted in ghee are stirred in before serving. You can enjoy this rich delicacy on trains with RailMitra.
7. Chole Bhature
Chole bhature is a tempting amalgamation of spicy and flavourful chole (chickpeas) with puffy hot bhature. A perfect north Indian indulgence, and a Punjabi delicacy, chole is a tantalizing mix of quintessential Indian spices, thick consistency of tomatoes and onions with boiled chickpeas. It is paired with puffy bhature.
Chole bhature is a popular street food across India. Enjoy this delicious meal on trains with a hot bowl of chole and soft bhature by ordering it from the best train food app, RailMitra.
8. Aloo Paratha
Aloo paratha is an undeniable King of breakfast, lunch or brunch throughout India. Aloo ka Paratha is a soft, delicious and shallow fried round Indian dish with a richly seasoned mashed potato topped with a dollop of butter.
In northern India, this is a staple food but is served nationwide in trains. The fusion of Indian spices and ginger gives a nice savoury flavour that is complemented with chilled yoghurt and pickle or chutney on the side. It is the most preferred train food in India for long journeys.
9. Hara Bhara Kabab
You have to agree that a lovely plate of juicy kebabs is a huge crowd-pleaser. Kababs are ideal snacks in trains. The smokey, grilled aroma and melt-in-mouth texture can quickly get you hooked to kebabs. Hara Bhara Kabab is an immensely popular Kabab and is a mélange of fresh vegetables and spices, making it a satisfying snack item.
Hara Bhara kabab is made up of green vegetables. The primary ingredient is spinach which is mixed with coriander leaves and peas. It gets its name and colour from these green ingredients.
It is further mixed with a touch of ginger, boiled potatoes, and a dash of chaat masala. It tastes delicious when served with savoury minty sauce.
10. Chicken Tikka Masala
The creamy Chicken Tikka Masala is a grilled chicken dish with thick gravy. It is a famous dish found in many north Indian restaurants. The gently cooked and slightly smoky sauce makes it a main course dish.
A versatile Chicken Tikka Masala is a blend of Indian spices, chillies, garlic, ginger, and garam masala. Full of flavour and spices, Chicken Tikka Masala is a perfect recipe for lunch and dinner. You can pair it with rice or naan for a perfect meal. It is the best non-veg snack food on rails to relish while travelling.
Steps to Check Indian Railway Seat Availability Without Train Number
train ticket price
train seat enquiry
train seat availability search
train running status
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spot your train
railway enquiry seat availability
live train status
live train running status
irctc train ticket availability
irctc seat availability
current train status
Indian Railways has introduced the facility of checking seat availability online to help passengers plan their journeys and book train tickets in advance. If you are planning to travel on an Indian railway train on a specific date, you can check whether there are seats available in that train for the date, quota, and travel category of your description. You can search for all trains running between your source station and the destination station, and get the benefit of seat availability in each train for all available classes and quotas.
The availability of seats offered by the Indian Railways gives you the availability of seats in the train in the exact hours and minutes of your checking. This changes as and when the seats are filled in the train.
Where to Check Seat Availability From?
Earlier, passengers had to visit PRS counters at railway stations to get details on train seat availability. However, these days you can do it online through your smartphone and computer without stepping out of the house. If you have an internet connection, the following online resources help you get the Indian Railways seat availability calendar:
- Official website of IRCTC
- Indian Railways Passenger Reservation Enquiry Site
- The mobile app of IRCTC Rail Connect.
- Third-party websites and apps like RailMitra using their feature of checking IRCTC seat availability
When to Check Seat Availability?
You can see the availability of seats in any Train Between Stations 120 days before the date of travel. For example, if you are planning a trip on 21 October 2020, the details of seat availability in all trains running between your source station and the destination station will be accessible to you from 20 June 2020. Similarly, you can check the number of seats available in all reserved travel classes and all quota except Tatkal Reserved Quota and Premium Tatkal Quota, which are made available to the passengers one day before the date of the journey.
How to Check IRCTC Seat Availability through RailMitra?
The official website of RailMitra offers easy steps to online check seat availability without a train number. You do not have to be a registered user for checking seat availability online. Here is a process to check the IRCTC seat availability calendar.
- Go to the official website of RailMitra or download the RailMitra App, and choose the “Seat Availability” option.
- Enter your travel details such as Train Name Number, name/code of source station, destination station name/code, and date of journey.
- If you are looking for seat availability in a specific travel class, select it from the dropdown menu.
- Click on 'Get Seat Availability'.
- Now, you will get the list of all the trains which are running between the two stations for the date and journey class you specified. The train list also shows the departure time, arrival time, and travel duration of each train.
Abbreviations used in the seat availability calendar
The seat availability directory of the Indian Railways uses certain conditions and abbreviations to indicate the availability status :
- Available - Seats/berths work on the train and the date you searched for
- CURR_AVBL - Current booking is receivable
- WL - Waiting list
- RAC - Reservation Against Cancellation
- REGRET/WL - No further booking is allowed for the train on the date you searched for
- Not Available - Seats/berths are not comfortable under the class or quote you searched for
How Train Running Status Helps Us In Determining Next Station?
Indian Railways is the fourth-largest rail network in the world. It is the financial backbone of our nation. As it is the cheapest mode of transportation so it is most favoured among travellers. Indian Railways extends its services to new stations regularly and adopts new technology. Our Railways has launched many e-services free for everyone. Anybody having a smartphone, can check their Train Running Status, list of upcoming trains at the boarding station, on their mobile phone from anywhere. These services are available in both offline and online mode.
In recent years, the crowd before PRS counters and railway enquiry counters have reduced. Passengers prefer to book their tickets online instead of standing for a long duration time in front of the crowded PRS counters.
Indian Railways has kick-started a massive effort to digitize and make journeys more comfortable. The step towards digitization in railways is one of the best decisions of railways. Gone are the days when passengers had to wait for a longer duration in case their scheduled train got delayed. But with the feature of Live Train Status, passengers can check the list of upcoming trains on their boarding station to their destination. They need not waste their time in front of their inquiry counter. They can check their train running status and plan accordingly. They can keep tracking the movement of their trains and get the exact location of their train from time to time. In case, their train is getting too late then they can schedule their travel accordingly with another train.
With the Live Train Running Status, passengers can also get additional details such as the last reported station, the distance covered, the duration of delay, scheduled timing, estimated time of arriving, list of en-route stations, and expected platform number.
“Train Running Status” works through the GPS system. When passengers check their train’s running status, it gets access to the GPS of that train and shows the exact location of the train. To Spot Your Train you can use any app related to railways providing this feature. But only a few of them are trustworthy and show real-time data, which means they show the exact location of your train.
RailMitra is one of them that works in real-time. It has all the useful features related to Railways enquiry such as checking trains between stations, live train running status, PNR Status, Train Schedules along with food delivery in train. Passengers can visit the official website of RailMitra or download it from Google Play Store to avail of all railways’ e-features from a single platform.
For checking train running stations, you need an internet connection on your smartphone. Follow these simple steps:
Step 1: Visit RailMitra
Step 2: Tap on “Train Live Status”
Step 3: Enter your Train Number or Train Name
Step 4: Select Date and Click on “Check Live Status”
Crucial Information You Must Know About This Feature
- The Green Spot denotes your train's last or exact location, where it is tracked last time.
- Extended Forms of the enlisted words stand for:
- a) ETD - Estimated Time Of Departure
- b) ATA - Actual Time of Arrival
- c) RT - Real-Time (Shows exact location of the train)
- d) UA - Update Awaited (The train has just crossed the station. The train’s status will be updated soon with its actual timing)
- e) CNC - Cancelled (When the train has been cancelled)
- f) PF - Expected Platform
How Live Station Train Help At Night Travel Through a Train
Travelling at night is full of adventures. As you’re unaware of the facilities that you can avail from the counters, this is the time when you might shy away from traveling. On the other side, some passengers love to travel at night.
According to a survey, passengers feel that they will not be able to get clear and accurate information about the train running status. But it's not like that. That day has already passed when you had to depend on the announcements and inquiry counters.
Check Live Station Trains Online
Our Indian Railways has extended its services from counters to e-counters. It has launched all the features of counters of Inquiry and Ticketing, online. So now, stop worrying about the night and pack your bag for your upcoming night train journey. You can get the list of upcoming trains on your smartphone without queuing up in front of counters. To know the Live Station Train online, you can go through railways e-services.
With more than 20 million regular passengers, Indian Railways is the third biggest rail network in the world, after Russia and China. Its rail lines are about 63000 kilometers long that connect metropolitan cities to rural areas. It is operating with 600+ railway stations and about 10000+ trains regularly.
Indian Railways is also the largest employment hub in the world, as it has currently 1.5 million active staff. Such a large strength of employees helps railways to become the most demanded and easy mode of transportation. Its team works hard to launch new features and activities. Providing such facilities online is a risky work but making it popular is the toughest. With the increasing popularity of the internet and smartphone, people understand the online features and usage of Railway’s e-services.
The Live Station Train facility of Indian Railways shows the list of upcoming trains at your boarding station. It shows the live train arrival timings, so that you can plan your trip according to your train timing. It can be easily checked online rather than asking from the inquiry counter.
If you’re traveling for a night train journey and worried about the upcoming trains, then you can simply download RailMitra’s mobile app from Google Play Store and get the exact list of upcoming trains. Live station trains also help passengers to get the current running status of their upcoming train. It informs passengers about the delayed details of the trains with the expected and scheduled timing.
Passengers willing to know the upcoming train of their boarding station can track their train’s live running status from their smartphone. It shows the train departure status, last crossed and upcoming stations, running status i.e. on time or delayed, running days, expected arrival at your boarding station along with scheduled arrival timing, and so on.
These e- services are not restricted with time and location, so you can avail it from anywhere or anytime. If it takes a long time to show results, due to server error, then you can refresh your page and can check it again, it will definitely show the exact results. If you don’t have a smartphone, then you can send a message on 139 with a message text “TIME”. So you’ll get the list of trains for that specific route through message.
How to Avail Live Station from RailMitra?
- Download RailMitra mobile app or visit to its official website
- Tap on “Live Station Arrv/Dep”
- Enter your boarding & destination station and select the time interval.
- Click on “Check trains”
It will show the list of upcoming trains in a specified time duration. There are three options available in the time section, i.e. 2 hours, 4 hours, and 8 hours. 2, 4, and 8 hours shows the list of upcoming trains in the next 2, 4, and 8 hours.
There will also be a button available so that you can also know the details about any specific train by tapping on that train.
Live Train Arrival & Departure Status
To easily get details of the upcoming trains:
- If you have a smartphone with internet connectivity, then go to
RailMitra -> Live Station Arrv/Dep -> Boarding station -> destination station -> Time duration -> check Trains
- If you don’t have a smartphone, then,
Send a message “TIME” on 139
Should We Carry Offline Train Time Table between Saved Routes?
If you’re wondering whether you should carry an offline train timetable between saved routes, then the answer is “No”. There are better alternatives available to help you check the train timetable, live train schedule, and much more train-related details online.
Indian Railways is one of the most favoured modes of transportation. It is the fourth-largest rail network and the largest employment hub in the world. Despite being the financial backbone of the country, the fares of Railways are very cheap in comparison to other modes of transportation.
It operates more than twenty thousand trains and carries millions of passengers daily. With technological advances and a modern approach in many aspects, travelling with the Indian Railways has become more comfortable over time. It provides most of its services online so that passengers can avail it without wasting their time in the crowded station premises.
Gone are the days when passengers had to queue up in long crowded lines in front of the inquiry counter. Now passengers can check their train timetable with the help of their smartphone.
Indian Railways allows passengers to check their upcoming train schedules by smartphone. They can avail “Live Train Schedule” feature from RailMitra, a one-touch railway enquiry app.
The increasing popularity of smartphones and the ease of accessing the internet has made everything so convenient. Indian Railways is working hard to make journeys of passengers memorable and comfortable. People, resting in their homes or working in offices, can easily avail these services from their places.
You can check your train schedule from any corner of the country with a smartphone having good internet connectivity. You can book your tickets online from IRCTC official website which makes the process effortless.
Indian Railways has actively extended its services and made everything online. The step towards the digitization of railways has made it more accessible and trouble-free for passengers.
Now, passengers can check their PNR status, trains between stations, live train status, book e-tickets (reserved and unreserved both), avail e-catering facilities, and so on.
Passengers can also avail e-train schedule from RailMitra’s official website. Suppose you want to know the schedule of 12192 “Jabalpur New Delhi Superfast train” to know the details about its arrival timing, running status, halts stoppages, and so on. Then instead of standing in a queue near the inquiry counter, you can check it through your smartphone.
How RailMitra Helps You Know the Correct Train Schedule?
RailMitra is a one-stop-shop for all railways-related services. When passengers check their train schedule through RailMitra mobile app or its official website, it gets connected to the IRCTC and GPS of the train in a few seconds. It shows the results related to that specific train.
RailMitra shows details of the train, such as:
- Class facilities,
- Running days,
- A List of halting stations with station codes,
- Schedule timing of arrival and departure with an estimated time,
- Halting duration, and
- The total distance the train covered to reach that specific station.
RailMitra also has the “Train Running Status” option through which you can track the exact location of that train on a single platform.
RailMitra also provides catering facilities, so you can also order your desired meal for your journey and get it right to your berth.
For checking the Train Schedule from RailMitra, follow these simple steps:
- Visit official website www.railmitra.com or log in to the application
- Tap on “Train Schedule”
- Enter Train Number or name”
- Click on “Check Train Schedule”
If you want to track running status, then tap on “View Running Status.”
Which Is The Best App For Current Train Live Status?
If we talk about trains, it fills us all with childhood memories. Every vacation that came up with family trips and visiting cousins and relatives was never complete without a long train journey. Even long journeys passed quickly with casual plays and songs. Though, sometimes we have had to wait for a longer time due to delays and other reasons that bothered us during the journey. Some apps and websites provide the facility of checking Train Live Status to help you trace the train in real-time. With the help of the Train Running Schedule, it became easy to spot trains so you can plan the whole program accordingly. It helps in avoiding unnecessary waiting on platforms, and now it has become a common habit to check current train status before leaving for the railway station.
Best App for Current Train Live Status
There are a plethora of websites and mobile apps that make checking easier. You can check train live status on NTES of Indian Railways, RailMitra, and RailRestro. These are some of the best apps that will provide solutions to your railways' enquiries.
What is Train Live Status?
Indian Railways and other private parties provide services using the real-time tracking of GPS, which is also known as Train Live Status. The Train running schedule can be checked for every Indian train that runs under the Indian Railways reservation system. It gives the information about the last location of the train with the exact arrival and departure timing of the upcoming railway station in the route of that particular train. This feature will also give information about the platform number on which the train will arrive. It gives you an accurate and real-time status of the train.
It can be checked when passengers have to board the train to know the estimated arrival time of the train at the station. Passengers can also check Current Train Status when they are already in the journey to update about at what time they will reach their destination.
How to Check the Train Live Status?
- Step 1: First, enter your train number in the search box.
- Step 2: Click the check schedule button.
- Step 3: You will get the exact status of the train. You can see the date of the journey, the exact timings, arrival/departure time, train current status, any delay, and more.
Train Live Status Details
While checking live train status, it will not only show the status of your train, but it will also give you more details about the train that includes:
- It will show the entire station the train will cover in the journey from the origin station to halt stations to the destination station.
- The arrival/departure timing of every station the train covers in the entire journey.
- It shows the halt duration of the train at the halt station.
- The station which is left to cover during the journey shows the estimated arrival and departure timing.
Travelling by train is an excellent way to explore new places and also a way to build a bond with nature and strangers. Checking Train Live Status is one of the best habits to follow before travelling, which can be traced easily and add more fun.
