Often referred to as IRCTC, the Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation is the online train ticketing arm of the Government of India. Millions of travelers log in daily to find a seat for travel. Knowing the booking times for General, Tatkal, and Premium Tatkal becomes a deciding factor for whether an individual gets that coveted confirmed ticket. Or finds themselves as one on the waitlist. IRCTC Ticket Booking Timings for General, Tatkal, and Premium Tatkal.
General Quota Booking Timings
Most General Quota tickets for trains will be available for booking 120 days before the journey date. At this point in time, beginning hours are as follows: Sleeper, AC Chair Car, 3ACs, 2ACs, and 1AC bookings open at exactly 8 AM. This timing is strictly followed across the country. Hence, advanced planning encompasses ticket securing during these periods of high travel demand such as festivals and holidays.
Tatkal Ticket Booking Times
Tatkal tickets are for emergency travel and can be booked one day before the journey date, except for the journey date.
AC classes: 1AC, 2AC, 3AC, Executive Class: open booking at 10:00 AM.
Non-AC Classes: Sleeper, 2S: open booking at 11:00 AM.
Limited availability and great demand have caused Tatkal tickets for most routes to get completed within minutes of their opening. Therefore, logging in a few minutes before the scheduled opening time and having the details of the passengers ready can be conducive to speed.
Timings for booking premium tatkal ticket
Premium Tatkal (PT) is an emergency kind of travel to provide higher priced tickets depending on demand. Booking opens one day prior to the date of travel being the same as Tatkal:
AC Classes: 10:00 AM
Non-AC Classes: 11:00 AM
The only major difference is that Premium Tatkal tickets are available online only, and they are sold at a premium because of surge-based pricing.
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