IRCTC Steps made Tatkal Ticket Booking Trouble-Free

IRCTC implemented Steps to Streamline Tatkal Ticket Booking for Rail Passengers

Tatkal ticket scheme is to meet urgent travel requirements of rail passengers who plan their journey at short notice. Tatkal ticket scheme was introduced for convenience of train travelers. But recent reports reveals it that the Tatkal scheme is being misused by a certain section of the public. So to stop misuse of Tatkal scheme urgent steps were felt necessary.Indian Railways Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC), a PSU of Ministry of Railways which manages Railways e-ticketing website namely www.irctc.co.in has implemented additional steps to streamline Tatkal ticket bookings. These steps taken by IRCTC will ensure delivery of Tatkal train tickets to the needy travelers likely to travel on urgent need.

Steps taken by IRCTC to streamline tatkal ticket booking

Online Tatkal Booking : Common Problems

Following steps have been implemented by IRCTC, the online ticket booking website, to make trouble-free Tatkal tickets booking for rail travelers:

• High capacity Database servers have been installed.
• Internet Bandwidth has been increased from 344 mbps to 450 mbps
• Single user registration on one e-mail ID with email verification has been implemented.
• Mobile validation of users and single user registration on one mobile number has been implemented.
• Web service agents have been permitted to book only one Tatkal ticket per train per day on internet after 12:00 hours
• Individual users are permitted to book only two tickets between 10:00 hours to 12:00 hours
• Only two tickets can be booked per IP address between 10-12 AM. IP address check has helped in preventing multiple bookings from same office complex / internet cafe etc. This also helps in facilitating bookings by genuine users and prevents bookings for commercial gains.
• Single session per user ID check has been implemented. With this step, a user on irctc.co.in will be able to open his account for booking of e-tickets only once. Multiple sessions with single user ID cannot be opened thereby enabling maximum users to access website and reduce congestion.
• Captcha has been put and strengthened for booking in the ‘Plan My Travel’ to check fraudulent booking through automation software. (CAPTCHAs is a technology used in attempts to prevent automated software from performing actions which degrade the quality of service of a given system)
• Quick Book Option and Cash Cards option has been stopped between 10:00 hours to 12:00 hours
• An IT-Anti Fraud Squad has been created at Internet Ticketing Centre to detect cases of fraud and fraudulent activity and also for constant cyberspace surveillance to detect possible threats to the system.
• Upon receipt of complaint against the sub-agent, the user–id is deactivated and the sub-agent is black-listed. The details of the black-listed agent are put on the IRCTC website. All the Principal Agents have been instructed not to take on such black-listed agents.
• For any complaint, against the e-ticket agents, one may contactagentcomplaint@irctc.co.in (011-23745962) or care@irctc.co.in (011-39340000)
• The Ministry of Railways has also initiated steps to augment e-ticket handling capacity of its website through short term and long term measures. Both IRCTC and CRIS are working jointly in this direction. Due to these steps, the present e-ticket capacity will increase from existing about 3.5 lakh bookings to around 5 lakh bookings per day in about four months period in the short term which will further be increased to about 8 lakh bookings per day in the long term plan.

Implementing the above steps by IRCTC it is assumed that rail passengers can avail problem-free Tatkal ticket booking.

So you must be aware of these new rules while you book Tatkal rail ticket and do share your comments, views, suggestions on accessing IRCTC initiatives for making tatkal booking easier for passengers.

Now You can Check Train Running Status on Mobile Phone

Checking Train Running Information Now on Mobile Phone Exact Location of Trains

Knowing exact location of a train has now become easiest ever for tracking it on a mobile phone. IIT-Kanpur and Indian Railways has jointly developed a new technology – real time train running information system(RTIS) – this system facilitates mobile users to retrieve information about the exact location of a running train. RTISis based on SIMRAN.

Web based real time train running information system (RTIS) has already been made available in October 2011 for accessing at the website http://www.simran.in.
This new running train tracking system is based on Satellite Imaging for Rail Navigation (SIMRAN), that is why website name is www.simran.in. This system enables accurate train running status.

Real Time Train Running Information on Mobile

Running Train Status on Mobile

To avail this facility on mobile phone one has to type the train number and SMS it to either09415139139 or 09664139139 for knowing the exact location of a running train on real-time basis as said by Railway Ministry official. Presently this service is available on Pilot/Trial Basis for selected trains (12001, 12002, 12003, 12004, 12005, 12006, 12011, 12012, 12013, 12014, 12017, 12018, 12033, 12034, 12235, 12236, 12423, 12424, 12435, 12436, 22423, 22424, 12301, 12302, 12305, 12306, 12313, 12314, 12431, 12432, 12951, 12952, 12953, 12954, 12259, 12260) only.

           

The RTIS service is currently available for 36 pairs of important trains including Rajdhani, Shatabdi and Duronto (for both UP and DOWN trains). It is expected that within next 18 months, all trains would be covered by RTIS service. Railways al already allocated Rs 121 crore to get this project completed before end of 2013. To make this system operational railways to install a signal receiver (costs about Rs 50,000/- ) in every running locomotive.

We can hope it that all the passenger / express / mail trains would be covered under this project by the end of 2013 as pilot project has now been completed.
To provide real time train running information available railways had obtained permission from ISRO to execute the pilot project. Now railways to take fresh permission from ISRO to use the satellite for the remaining trains. Besides satellite, global positioning system (GPS) is also being used for RTIS system. CRIS, the technology wing of Railways, to an MoU (Memorandum of Understanding) with IIT-Kanpur shortly to execute the project.
You might know it well that besides mobile phones, RTIS facility provides the exact location of running trains on laptops, computers and smart-phones since October 19, 2011 thereby removing the requirement for a telephonic enquiry for running train status.
Railways is also working currently towards providing broadband based internet & multimedia facilities in running trains and high quality train information displays & information boards at railway stations to improve the quality of passenger service thereby fulfilling latest customers’ demand.

So check train status on your mobile phone and do share it if you find any problem in, accessing train running status on your mobile. 

Tatkal Tickets Booking Timings Changed by Railways

Indian Railways Modified Booking Time for Tatkal Tickets wef July 10, 2012

To stop misuse of Tatkal Ticket Booking, Indian Railways introduces fresh guidelines for Tickets to be booked under Tatkal quota / scheme. Under the new arrangement, Tatkal ticket booking will start at 10:00 a.m.on the previous day of journey from the originating station of the train. Earlier, tatkal booking timings was from 08:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m. before July 10, 2012.

Indian Railway Tatkal Ticket Booking Timing has been revised to ensure delivery of Tatkal train tickets to the needy common man likely to travel on urgent basis. This is good news for rail travelers. Under this new amendment booking of Tatkal tickets will start at 10:00 hours on the previous day of journey from train originating station instead of 08:00 hours at present.

New Guidelines for Booking Tatkal Ticket

According to new guidelines issued for tatkal ticket booking, if a train is to depart from the originating station on the 2nd of the month, the Tatkal quota booking both through internet (IRCTC website) and reservation counters for that particular train shall open at 10:00 hours on the 1st of the month. Moreover, it has also been decided that no authorized agents, including agents of IRCTC and RTSAs / RTAs shall be allowed to book Tatkal tickets from 10:00 hours to 12:00 hours from counters as well as from Internet.

New Arrangement for Tatkal Ticket Booking

At the Zonal Railway and the Divisional Railway level, the local Railway administration is also making arrangements at the reservation counters for orderly implementation of the amendment in the scheme like segregation of Tatkal buyers through separate queues, separate counters etc. as per the local requirement and feasibility.
Moreover, installation of CCTVs in all major booking centres to monitor any unusual activities, inspection of the reservation centres by the senior officers, display of helpline numbers for complaints, raids by the vigilance squads are some of the measures being taken to prevent misuse of Tatkal facility. The requirement of indicating Mobile number of the passenger in the application form is also being insisted to cross verify the genuineness of the passenger.
For stopping misuse of booking tatkal tickets, above new measures have been introduced in addition to the measures to revamp Tatkal system from November 2011. Online ticket booking website IRCTC has also implemented additional steps to streamline Tatkal ticket bookings. For any complaint, against the e-ticket agents, one may contact agentcomplaint@irctc.co.in (011-23745962) or care@irctc.co.in (011-39340000). The measures were introduced previously to reduce/minimize the possibility of booking of tickets by touts/miscreants are still continuing. The new guidelines were introduced due to increased complaints from passengers about touts exploiting the loopholes in the tatkal scheme.

So, now you can book your Tatkal Ticket following the new timings/guidelines. Feel free to share your views / comments on new tatkal ticket booking system.