INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
No refund is given on confirmed Tatkal tickets except in case of special circumstances.
When you opt for booking Tatkal tickets on IRCTC website, you get this message: "Check general
quota availability before opting for Tatkal/premium Tatkal quota." In other words, IRCTC, which is the e-ticketing arm of Indian Railways,
advises passengers to first look for seat availability under the general quota before choosing the Tatkal scheme
The Tatkal option, introduced in 1997, is meant for those who at a short notice
Passengers have to pay extra charges for booking tickets under the Tatkal quota
Tatkal tickets can be booked through Railways' Passenger Reservation Centers as well as through internet.IRCTC offers different payment
mechanisms for making online payments for Tatkal tickets
It has also introduced a new payment mechanism for booking e-tickets, including Tatkal tickets: IRCTC e-wallets
Now, IRCTC e-wallet users can book rail e-tickets including Tatkal quota tickets through mobile app IRCTC Rail Connect.Tatkal Booking
Bookings for Tatkal tickets for AC classes open at 10:00 am and for non-AC classes at 11:00 am, a day in advance of actual date of journey
Moreover, only two Tatkal tickets per IP address between 10:00-12:00 hrs
are allowed.Agents are not allowed to book tickets between 08:00 am to 08:30 am, 10:00 am to 10:30 am and 11:00 am to 11:30 am to prevent
cornering of tickets at the time of opening of Tatkal and Advance Reservation Period bookings.Earlier the Ministry of Railways had outlined
in registration, login and booking page for online Tatkal ticket booking
Making OTP (one time password) compulsory for all internet banking payment options as well as imposition of minimum time limit before
proceeding for payment gateway as well as after making payment while booking tickets through internet are some of the other measures to
strengthen the Tatkal ticketing system.Tatkal ChargesAccording to the Railways, Tatkal ticket booking charges are calculated as a percentage
Rs.)Minimum distance for charge (in km)Second (sitting)1015100Sleeper100200500AC Chair Car125225250AC 3 Tier300400500AC 2
Tier400500500Executive400500250Ticket Refund/Cancellation RulesTo prevent misuse of Tatkal scheme, no refund is given on confirmed Tatkal
tickets except in case of certain special circumstances
Railways grants refund of full fare of confirmed Tatkal tickets in some cases and in case of e-tickets, the customer has to use the Ticket
scheme is granted only in specific circumstances: 1) if the train is delayed by more than three hours at the journey originating point of
the passenger and not the boarding point if the passenger's journey originating point and boarding point are different; 2) if the train is
to run on a diverted route and passenger is not willing to travel; 3) if the train is to run on diverted route and boarding station or the
destination or both the stations are not on the diverted route; 4) in case of non-attachment of coach in which Tatkal accommodation has been
earmarked and the passenger has not been provided accommodation in the same class, and 5) if the party has been accommodated in lower class
and does not want to travel.In case the party travels in a lower class, the passenger will be given refund of difference of fare and also
the difference of Tatkal charges, if any.Cancellation of RAC/wait-listed Tatkal ticketsFor RAC or wait-listed tickets if confirmed
reservation has been provided at any time up to final preparation of charts, such a ticket is treated as confirmed, according to the IRCTC
website.An RAC or wait-listed ticket is presented for cancellation, the refund of fare is made after deducting the clerkage if the ticket is
present for cancellation up to 30 minutes before the scheduled departure of the train, says IRCTC.