Frequently asked, honestly answered.
A reference to the most-searched questions on IRCTC tatkal booking, waiting list and RAC, PNR status, train cancellation, refund rules and ID requirements — drawn from official Indian Railways policy.
74 shown
·Tatkal, RAC & waiting list 13
I have a ticket in general quota which is in waitlisted status. Should I book tatkal ticket or wait for waiting list ticket to get confirmed?
You should check the confirmation chances of your waiting ticket. If the chances are pretty low, go for a tatkal ticket.Can my waiting list tatkal ticket get confirmed?
Tatkal waiting list tickets have the least chances of confirmation. It is best not to rely on them.What is premium tatkal quota?
Premium tatkal quota (PT) was introduced on October 1, 2014, and follows dynamic pricing. It is only bookable online, and no waiting list or RAC tickets are issued under this quota.How much fare is charged for ticket booked under premium tatkal quota?
Premium tatkal fares increase by 20% after each slab of 10% berths are sold. It is higher than tatkal fare but less than twice the tatkal fare.What is the choice of quotas available?
We have General and Tatkal quota facility available.Does it mean that I can board the train even if my ticket status is RAC till the last moment?
Yes, you can board the train if your status is RAC. Usually the RAC passengers are allotted the berths which remain vacant due to some reserved passengers not showing up at the time of departure of the train.I selected the train but still the ‘Book’ button is not displayed. What’s happening?
Once you see the seat availability, you can then select the same to book. You may not be able to see the seat availability due to:You are trying to book the train between <23:30 – 12:30 and 08:00 – 12:00> hours. The Indian Railways reservation system does not allow to book trains during this period through agents.The seat cannot be booked as all the ‘waitlist’ quota has been filled. In this case, you will see ‘Booking Closed’ in the availability status.Can I book waitlisted and RAC e–tickets?
Yes, you can book waitlisted and RAC e–tickets as well. However, there is no guarantee that your seats will get confirmed before the departure of the train.My ticket status is Waitlist/ RAC. How will I know when it is confirmed?
With the ‘Check PNR status’ facility, you can confirm the status of the ticket. But we strongly recommend that you check the PNR status 4 hours before the departure of the train. Just visit www.icicibank.com/irctc and Click on Book now -> Check PNR .Enter your PNR number to get the latest status.I’ve booked a waitlisted ticket. How do I check my PNR status?
Just visit www.icicibank.com/irctc . Click on Book now -> Check PNR ,enter your PNR number to get the latest status.What does the fare include?
Apart from the ICICI Bank service fee and the processing fee, the fare includes:Base fareReservation feeSuperfast feeDevelopment chargesConcession if anyIRCTC service feeTatkal charges, if using tatkal quotaCan you please give me a break–up of the ticket price?
Sure we can. The total price of each ticket comprises of:Base fare: This is simply the base fare of the train ticket. Children and senior women are charged 50% of the adult base fare. Senior men are charged 70% of the base fare.Railway charges: These are Reservation Charges, Superfast Charges, Other Charges, Tatkal Charges (if any) and GST.IRCTC Charges: No chargesICICI Bank fee: We charge a service fee of Rs. 20 for Non–AC classes and Rs. 40 for AC classes, for bringing to you a fast and friendly interface to search and book tickets.Payment Gateway (PG) fee: Transaction fee is 1.8% of the total of the above components. Payment gateways charge us this amount for processing your transaction. IRCTC charges a similar transaction fee, if you choose to book through them.Can I board the train from any station on the way?
No. You will need to board the train from the boarding station mentioned in your e–ticket. If you don’t, the ticket examiner may assign the seat to any other RAC traveller on the train and will mark you as ‘passenger not traveled’.
·Cancellation & refunds 17
Is it allowed to travel in Indian Railways if we have a waiting list tatkal ticket?
Ideally, you should not travel in train on waiting list tickets. In premium trains such as rajdhani, shatabdi, and duronto, passengers with PRS waiting list tickets, if found, are fined and asked to deboard at the next halt. In other trains, the TTE does not interfere but traveling with a waiting list e-ticket is not advisable as it causes inconvenience to other passengers. Fully waitlisted e-tickets are automatically canceled on chart preparation.Can we cancel a "Tatkal waiting list" ticket?
Yes, waiting list and RAC tickets of both general and tatkal quotas can always be canceled. A nominal clerkage fee of Rs.60 per passenger is deducted.What should I do if I have booked a confirmed tatkal ticket but I have to cancel my trip?
No refunds are available for confirmed tatkal tickets. However, you should cancel your ticket to allow waitlisted passengers to get confirmed.How much cancellation charge is levied if I cancel my confirmed ticket?
Cancellation charges depend on the class and time of cancellation relative to train departure. A sliding scale applies based on the time left before departure.Can I get a refund if my train is running late?
If your train is delayed by more than three hours and you choose not to travel, you can cancel the ticket with no cancellation charges.On check availability’, I get ‘RAC’ in the availability status. What does it mean?
Reservation Against Cancellation (RAC) means that you have an assured seat but the berth has not been allotted yet. As other passengers cancel their ticket, you will be promoted on the RAC list and will be allotted a berth subsequently.My booking failed due to some error. Would your customer support help me book the ticket?
We’re sorry to hear about it. We will refund your money once the refund is processed by IRCTC, in case the payment is processed. However, we will not be able to help you book the ticket offline as per IRCTC guidelines.Why is booking and cancellation facility not available after 11:30 pm?
The Train booking is available as below:12:30AM – 08:00 AM12:00PM – 11.30 PMHow do I cancel my train tickets?
Cancelling train tickets you booked on ICICI Bank site is super easy.Here’s how:Go to the Train booking page on www.icicibank.com/irctcClick on Book now and go to “My Bookings”Enter the IRCTC User Id used for booking the tickets and OTP received in registered mobile numberList of all uncompleted trips will be populatedSelect the journey and proceedReview the cancellations once you have selected the passengers and proceed for confirmationWe will process your refund within 10 working days.Is partial cancellation supported?
Yes, partial cancellations are supported. Just follow the cancellation procedure noted above, pick the passenger[s] you want to cancel and hit the cancel button.Can I make cancellations at railway reservation counters?
No, e–tickets cannot be cancelled at railway reservation counters. You can cancel the tickets online through your ICICI Bank account page till chart preparation or offline, if the charts are prepared, by sending an e-mail to service.irctc@icicibank.com. If you face any problems with cancellations, please call our 24X7 Customer Care on 040 – 30925444.I have missed my train. What’s the latest I can cancel my confirmed ticket by?
Indian Railways allows cancellation of unused e–tickets up to 3 hours from the departure of the train. In order to cancel the e– ticket, please send an e-mail to service.irctc@icicibank.com with the required details. Any cancellation request sent post 3 hour of the train departure time will not be considered as a valid request and no refund will be processed as per IRCTC guidelines.I missed my train. Will I get a refund for no–show?
Yes. Please send an e-mail to service.irctc@icicibank.com with the required details up to 3 hours from the train departure time. Any request sent post 3 hour of the train departure time will not be considered as a valid request and no refund will be processed as per IRCTC guidelines.When I try to cancel the ticket, it says that the charts are prepared. How do I cancel the tickets now?
You cannot cancel your tickets online after the chart preparation. Please send an e-mail to service.irctc@icicibank.com with the required details up to 3 hours from the train departure time. Any request sent post 3 hour of the train departure time will not be considered as a valid request and no refund will be processed as per IRCTC guidelines.Once we receive the refund confirmation from IRCTC, we will refund the amount to your account. Please note that IRCTC takes approximately 90 days to refund the amount in such cases.I initiated the cancellation but received a failure message?
Please use ‘Check PNR’ functionality to check the latest status of PNR. In case it is not cancelled, raise the cancellation request again. If the status is cancelled then the refund will be given within 10 working days post receipt of the refund from IRCTC.I raised a Cancellation Request but refund is still not received?
This can be due to:Account Closed/ Dormant/ Inactive & Credit Card closed. We process the refund using same mode as used for booking the transaction. In such cases, we refund the amount back to IRCTC. Please contact IRCTC Customer service.The refund is not processed by IRCTC within the stipulated time frame.Do I need to carry any ID proof while boarding the train?
Yes. You are required to carry valid ID proof of any one passenger when you travel.Here is the list of ID proofs which railways considers valid:PassportDriving LicensePAN CardVoters ID cardPhoto ID card issued by the Central or State Govt. to their employees
·IRCTC account 17
I somehow deleted the IRCTC SMS. Can I still travel?
You can use the "resend SMS" option on the IRCTC website or travel with valid ID proof, knowing your coach and berth number.I need to book my train ticket under a special quota. How do I go about that?
As per IRCTC guidelines, special quota selection is not allowed for booking through online agents.What is the registration process for ICICI Bank Train booking system?
It is simple two step process:Enter the registered mobile number with IRCTC and request for OTPEnter IRCTC Registered User ID and OTPI created my IRCTC username a while back, and I don't remember it now?
Search for a registration e-mail from care@irctc.co.in in your list of potential mailboxes (which has been used for IRCTC registration).If that does not work, please send an e-mail to care@irctc.co.in with your e-mail address requesting for the same.I do not remember the mobile number used in my IRCTC account?
Login to www.irctc.co.in and recheck the mobile number used in the IRCTC profile.In case the mobile number & e-mail address is changed, please update the same in the IRCTC profile.What if my User ID is deactivated by IRCTC?
Please login to your IRCTC account at irctc.co.in and update your profile. If this does not help, please send an e-mail to care@irctc.co.inDo I need to enter my mobile number every time I book my train travel?
Yes. You just need to enter the mobile number and OTP for authentication.Why do I need to enter Mobile Number and IRCTC User ID to see availability?
We register the User at ICICI Bank with Mobile Number and IRCTC User ID so that when the User initiates the next search process, this information will help to recognise the User.I have entered the mobile number but have not received the OTP?
Please click ‘Resend OTP’ link which will help in regenerating the OTP.I have changed the mobile number on the IRCTC website which was linked to my User ID but the same is not yet updated?
Please de-link the earlier registration using ‘De-link IRCTC Account’ option. Once done, please follow the ‘Linking process’ with the new mobile number.I receive a failure message when linking my mobile number and IRCTC?
The failure can be due to:User ID entered is not registered with IRCTC. In this case, please click Sign UP to register User ID with IRCTC.You have already been registered.I did not have the IRCTC User ID, so I went ahead with the registration but have received a failure message. Why?
The failure can be due to:User Name is already registered. In this case, please use the ‘Check Username’ Functionality which will help in repeating the entire process again.E-mail ID already registered. You are trying to create a different User ID with an e-mail ID already registered with IRCTC.Mobile Number already registered. You are trying to create a different User ID with the mobile number already registered with IRCTC.Can I book all types of tickets?
As per IRCTC Guidelines, E-Ticket can be booked through agents.Can I book break journey tickets online?
As per IRCTC Guidelines, train journeys can be booked from the selected source and destination only.I tried paying for my train tickets with an international Credit Card but the payment failed. What happened here?
For added security, we route all international cards through a ‘Verified by Visa/ MasterCard Secure’ gateway, where you have to enter additional authentication information (Date of Birth, ATM PIN, Internet Banking password, etc.) on the bank’s website. This is to curb the high incidence of fraud with international cards.We recently made a change in our payment system to reject payments that skip the authentication step. If you happened to skip the additional authentication step, you should see a ‘Payment Rejected’ error message after being directed back to ICICI Bank. Click on the ‘Continue’ button and try with a fresh set of payment details.You can:Retry with the international Credit Card, but please complete the authentication procedure.Try with a Credit Card issued in India.Try paying via a Net Banking account or a Debit Card.I’m more than 60 years of age. Can I avail the Senior Citizen discount?
As per IRCTC guidelines, the Senior Citizen discount will be given to:Male: Age of 60 years onwardsFemale: Age of 58 years onwardsI have lost my e–ticket. What do I do?
You can print another one by logging into your ICICI Bank account.
·Classes & seating 7
How do I use the train search?
Simply select your origin, destination, travel date, class and quota then click 'Search'.How accurate is the pricing and availability data?
We connect real time to the Indian Railways reservation system to fetch the latest availability data.There are no seats available for the date of my choice. How do I see the next few days' availability?
When a particular train is selected, the availability status for different days will be displayed which will help you to choose between different dates.I do not see the ‘Book’ button anywhere on the search results page. How do I book?
You need to first select the train, post which the seat availability for the train will be displayed. Select the seat to book.I have booked a confirmed ticket but the ticket does not have the coach and seat number. Why?
Don’t worry, your seat is confirmed. In some booking classes such as AC First Class and Executive class (in case of Shatabdi trains), the railways does not assign any seat number till the chart preparation of the train. You will get to know your coach and seat number through the charts.Would I be upgraded to the next higher class in case the berths in the class I booked are not available?
If the ‘Auto Upgradation’ checkbox is selected while booking a ticket, then you will be eligible for an upgrade.Can I choose my seat/ berth number?
Sorry, you cannot choose your seat/ berth number. The berths and coaches are allotted by Indian Railways and we have no control over this allocation.
·Booking & fares 9
Can I search by entering a 3/ 4 letter station code instead of typing the station/ city name?
Yes, you can. For instance, search for New Delhi station by typing NDLS.Why do I not see the return trip option on the trains search page?
On this page, you can search and book one–way trips only.Can I book train tickets?
Now you can not only search but also book your train tickets through ICICI Bank. Just select from the choice of trains displayed on the search results page to see availability details. You can click the Book button for bookings.Click here to navigate.Which stations lie between the origin station and the destination station?
On the search results page, click on the train of your choice to see the stations the train passes through and the times at which it arrives and departs.How many days before my travel date should I make a booking?
You can book your train tickets 60 days before the scheduled departure of the train. For some inter-city day trains, the advanced reservation period is lesser than 60 days.What is the latest I can book the tickets by?
You can book tickets till the time of chart preparation for the train, which is normally 4 hours before the scheduled departure of the train from the train originating station. For trains which start before 12 noon, the chart preparation is usually done on the previous night.I booked train tickets for someone else using my Credit Card? Will they need to carry it while travelling?
You can book train tickets for anyone using your Credit Card. The only documents travelers need to carry are a copy of their e–ticket and an identity proof.The fare shown on the search results page and the book page are different. Why?
When you search for trains between two cities, we show the fare between the stations we think are most popular in those cities. But if the booking and/ or destination station you choose is different from those stations, the fare may differ.How much processing fee am I being charged?
The transaction fee will be charged on the total amount you pay, after deducting any discounts. We charge a processing fee of 1.8% on the booking amount which is inclusive of all taxes.
·Boarding & on-board 10
I do not understand the different classes of travel mentioned on the search page. Help me.
Here is a brief explanation of what you will find in different classes:AC First Class (1A): Offers air conditioned accommodation for two berths (one up & one down) or four berths (two up & two down) lockable compartments for overnight journeys; linen/ blankets; facility of shower/ toilet at either end of the carriage & attendant services are provided. AC 2 Tier (2A): Air conditioned corridor carriage that sleeps 46 people split up into two & four berth cubicles separated by curtains. AC 3 Tier (3A): Air conditioned 3-tier sleeper. Carriages are divided into compartments with six beds in each. The beds are stacked vertically in three tiers on either side of the compartments. During the day, the middle beds must be folded down flat against the compartment walls to allow passengers to sit on the lower beds. Two tiers of beds are also located outside the compartments, along the aisle. Toilet facility at either end of the carriage. First Class (FC): Offers non air conditioned accommodation for two berths (one up & one down) or four berths (two up & two down) lockable compartments for overnight journeys; facility of shower/ toilet at either end of the carriage. AC Chair Car (CC): Air conditioned carriage with reclining seats. Only sitting accommodation is provided. Sleeper (SL): Non air conditioned Sleeper class. Similar to AC 3 tier except that it is non air conditioned. Second Sitting (2S): Second class sitting. It provides only sitting accommodation with bench style seats.How many passengers can I book in one go?
You can book 6 passengers including children and senior citizens on one ticket.Is ID proof required when booking?
ID proof is not required when booking but you will still need to carry a valid ID proof to confirm your identity when you travel.Who should be carrying the ID proof?
Any one of the passengers traveling on the ticket may carry the photo ID proof.Can I carry a photocopy instead of the original ID proof?
No. Railways only accepts the original ID proof.I have mistyped the name of one of the passengers at the time of booking. Can I change the name now?
The amendments in passenger name is possible only if any of the blood relative wants to travel in place of the booked passenger. Changes can be made by approaching the nearest railway reservation counter with your e–ticket printout and valid photo ID proof and blood relation proof of the passengers who are willing to travel in place of the booked passenger. Please note that amendments are allowed till 24 hours before the scheduled departure of the train and can be made only once per ticket. Processing of amendment request is at sole discretion of the railway authorities.I have mistyped the age of one of the passengers while booking. Can I change it now?
Indian railways does not allow amendment of age in the e-ticket. The ticket examiner may still allow you to travel if the difference in the actual and typed age is not much.What kind of amendments can be made on e–tickets?
You cannot amend your tickets online. Railways support one–time amendment in the boarding station and passenger name (only passenger’s blood relatives are allowed to replace the passenger). To amend your ticket, you can approach the nearest railway reservation counter with your e–ticket printout and the valid photo ID proof of any of the passengers, 24 hours before the departure of the train.Is there a restrictions on the baggage I carry?
Yes. For latest baggage rules, http://www.indianrail.gov.in/luggage_Rule.htmlWhat items are prohibited on board a train?
Offensive articles, explosive, dangerous, inflammable articles, empty gas cylinders, dead poultry, acids and other corrosive substance are not permitted.
·General 1
Some stations are missing in the list of stations on the results page for a city. Why?
This is because only those stations are shown in the list through which at least one of the trains passes.