Smartest Way Of Booking IRCTC Tatkal Ticket Revealed
The article, specific to Indian audience, who used to travel a lot in train. Usually I too need to travel frequently among Ahemedabad, Pune and Hyderabad. Many times it is unplanned journey, So I opt for tatkal booking. Initially, I felt like a challenge to grab ticket in Tatkal quota. Reason behind that, a huge number of people are trying to grab the fewer Tatkal quota tickets. Second, a very unpleasant reason, inefficiency of irctc.co.in. But with few trial and errors, I found out the most optimized way to book the Tatkal ticket.
It is really ironic that IRCTC (Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation) can’t bare such a load and just collapse in front of you every day while booking for Tatkal, contrary to the fact that India is instrumental in developing most complex IT systems in the world. Please don’t blame heavy traffic for inefficiency of IRCTC because imagine then how it is possible for GMail or Facebook or some banking websites (E.g. www.hdfcbank.com) to be uninterrupted even after immense traffic? Believe me, Indian Railway needs to think really serious about this.
Updated on 25th April, 2012
There is a twist in this article. The easiest way of booking Tatkal ticket was about using Quick Book link in irctc.co.in, which was quite efficient as you needed to fill all the details in one shot and redirected to a payment gateway. But as it was being misused by Agents, IRCTC has blocked that particular link from 8:00AM to 9:15AM in the morning. So to accommodate this change, I had to rewrite the article. So, as of now, we are left with conventional way only. But still there are ample amount of chances to optimize the conventional method too.
The Optimized Way Of Booking Tatkal Ticket:
Suppose I want to book the tatkal ticket from Ahemedabad to Pune, certainly I should follow the below steps,
- You can book Tatkal ticket at 8:00AM in one day advance excluding the day of journey. Before you start booking, keep below details handy,
- From station code (‘ADI’ in our case) and To station code (‘PUNE’ in our case)
- Train details (E.g. Ahmedabad-Pune Duronto)
- ID card number (In Tatkal Quota Ticket, ID card for at least one passenger travelling must be entered.)
You might get a question that, why to have station codes? The answer is, though IRCTC starts giving you suggestion when you start typing stations names but it becomes damn slow at 8AM. Same for the train details; one can not afford to waste a time for deciding the right train while booking Tatkal ticket. At 7:58AM, log into IRCTC.co.in and wait for the ‘Great Ticket Battle’ to begin.
- At 8:01AM, enter the station codes in ‘From’ and ‘To’ fields; select quota as ‘Tatkal’ and hit ‘Find Trains’ button. See the below image.
- Please don’t click the ’Find Trains’ button before 8:00AM otherwise you might end up with error below,
- Complete the rest steps, which are quite easy and they do not involve any rocket science. Please continue reading to have some out of the box tips.
- To find out more efficient browser for this process, I tested booking with Firefox, Chrome and Internet Explorer in parallel. Believe me Internet Explorer was way behind rest two. At least for tatkal booking, I strongly recommend to go for Firefox or Chrome.
- Consider yourself lucky, if you find below ‘Service Unavailable’ error message less than 4 times during whole process.
To counter this problem, you must start booking process in three-four parallel browser windows. So in case, if one fails, you could continue with another. 
This method apparently increases your chances of grabbing Tatkal tickets. Sometimes even if it fails then… hmm.. blame your slower Internet connection. :P Let me know, if you face any difficulties or have suggestions! Moreover, if you are keen to know about ‘Whom to blame for irctc.co.in’, ‘Who developed irctc.co.in’, IRCTC statistics etc then continue reading one of my articles here!!
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66 Comments
Sreevas
07.16.2010
Gr8 bit of information. Really useful
Kuldeep
07.18.2010
Recently, I read a news article on some news site that keeping in mind the complaints of general public, Indian Railways and IRCTC have decided to bar the e-ticket agents from booking Tatkal Tickets for one hour. This decision came as a consequence of numerous complaints sent to Railway Ministry and IRCTC regarding agents cornering the ticket and service unavailability.
I personally feel that the decision taken by the authorities to bar the e-ticket agents is completely incorrect. I have few valid reasons to come to this generalization.
1) A handful number of people actually know what is the procedure of online e-ticket booking.
2) Only a few people have computer, printer and internet availability which is absolutely required for online e-ticket booking.
3) The allegation that the e-ticket agents charge hefty amounts for booking Tatkal ticket is true to some extent. But there should be some mechanism to check this menace instead of total barring and inequity.
4) IRCTC uses IIS Web Server which has a throttle limit. Again IRCTC doesn’t allow Keep-alive header as a result of which each request has to go through TCP handshake before serving the response. At 8:00, the requests are at its peak and reach the throttle limit the thus the server throws temporary 503 Service Unavailable error. Now this problem should not be seen as a nexus between IRCTC and the e-ticket agents. To resolve this issue, IRCTC needs to expand the capacities of its server.
Having said all this, I personally appeal IRCTC to look into all these issues wisely and judiciously. Barring is not a solution. It will create more problems. Even if the agents are barred from using this service, the customers will seek their assistance and in the name of assistance again they would charge the same hefty amount resulting into as it is situation.
Hope this issue gets resolved once and for all.
From: http://blog.netinfobase.com/
Pranjal
07.20.2010
I have an IRCTC account which is locked second time.
When i tried to reset the password through forget password link, it asks User id, question and Answer. I provided all the details and it throws an error “Answer is Incorrect”. This happend second time and both the times i tried to login through the actual password.
I waited for a week and there was no response from IRCTC customer care. I called them up on 24 Hrs. Customer Support at 011-23340000 and it took about 12 calls to make them understand about the issue. When ever i called up the customer support the person attnding the call will redirect me to someone else after listening to my detail and again i need to explain whole story, inshort that was waste of time and money.
I sent an email at care@irctc.co.in also submit at http://www.consumercourt.in/railways/14030-irctc-login.html and got an automated email as Ticket Confirmation for the request.
IRCTC should hire service and satisfaction oriented support executives so that it a common man has no pain of wasting time and money.
Gaurang Patel
07.27.2010
@Sreevas, Thank you!
@Kuldeep, Correct! Root cause of the problem is inefficiency of site itself. No one should be blamed.
@Pranjal, Right. Once I had short conversation with IRCTC customer care. And they hardly concern about your problem because after all those are ‘Sarkari Babus’.
Manikantan T S
07.27.2010
Was keen to know if anybody have “best method to book Tatkal tickets”
Don’t know how much true, but i have seen my friends succeeding booking tickets since two weeks. Not sure if any performance improvement
Sri
10.05.2010
Regarding the changing boarding point trick I think they have changed the method of applying quota for this.
You will be booked under the boarding point quota even if the ‘reservation from’ is different, So you end up paying more for getting tickets from the same quota.
I’m not 100% sure about this though.
Mukesh
10.28.2010
Hi,
After you have done payment through the bank site, there is an option where you are returned to irctc automatically or in case of onlinesbi there is a link – click here to return.
Is anyone aware that we should use that link or wait to automatically return .. sometimes it wastes time in automatic return ..
info
10.30.2010
Using quick book is a wise option. Again every session gets reset at 8.00 am. So its of now use to login before 8.00 am. So try login exactly at 8.am and keep refreshing till you succeed. you have to be quick enough to type other details. try to store all the required details in a notepad and copy paste them. It would be good to do a trial before 8.00 am and also get the card details in handy. Again your net connection should be speed enough to get this done.
Jay
11.01.2010
All this is a waste of time. Please, plan your trip in advance and discourage all this agent-corruption practices in our country.
ravindran
11.02.2010
when you encounter service unavailable after bank transaction, you are allowed to do refresh, it worked today for me…
This is the only page where you are allowed to refresh
Siby Mathew
11.02.2010
there is a small correction. You can click quick book on the left pane before 8.. fill all the details… and at 8:01 you click quick button at the bottom of the page. the popup will display (you can book tatkal only after 8)…but it gets automatically redirected to the bank site…
This works only in IE…
tried and tested
MANOJ KUMAR BHAKAT
11.02.2010
Tatkal for eticket agents are not possible for first hour.Firstly i want to clear that this decision have helped for very few highly qualified persons, who were unable to book tatkal ticket through irctc web page. Their thinking was, we will wake up at 7.30 am, will take place to our laptop and book the ticket like a breakfast and the agents who are trying heart and soul to book tatkal for maximum number of indian, who have no idea about computer about internet and agent booked the ticket for really needed person. But these rised indian could not tolarate as they were always behind in booking ticket. An agent who remains at computer for more than maximum time, always remain in better position.indian rail have also thought for those very few people. Indian rail never thouught more than 50% people in india is without school. Amonng the 50% only 2% knows to use computer. And i do not know among the 2% there are how many person is able to book tatkal or normal ticket. more than 70% people remain in village, where no one will find prs counter. I want to know how many really book ticket through internet except agent cell. The logic of heavy primium is although true. But once doing such activity people autometically reject such agent. This decision have made dificuilt for common people of india. There are no doubt that eticket is strange surprise in indian rail. General people few years back never imagine that rail ticket will be so easy for them. With out this the relation between agent and customer have been homely and friendly. A person remaining to far just called his agent to cancel the ticket he will cancel the ticket
My last opinion to indian rail that they should start tatkal for agents for common people of india
Shivam
11.02.2010
I have been using this method for the past 3 weeks now as I have to travel each weekend. Yes its true that you can refresh if Service Unavailable error is shown after payment is done.
Ashish
11.05.2010
hi,
I can bet this is not the fastest way, you can always fill the form in advance and just click on “book ticket”. Step “D” can be skipped easily. Find out the trick yourself.
Ashish
11.05.2010
One more thing, you are giving example of yahoo and google.
Remember dear friend these sites are based on click and fetch service.
While indian railway site has locking mechanism.
for example-
if 100 users want same information, you can just allow them all to take it without hitch.
but what if 100 users want same “seat” can indian railway allow it.
all the people at 8 am crushes to acquire that 15-20 tatkal seats, locking algorithms are involved there.
hundreds of users click at the same time, whom should be the seat given, can you point out !!!
stop blaming this is N-PN Problem. search for N-PN problem to know more about it.
Gaurang Patel
11.17.2010
@Dear Ashis,
Firstly, Thanks as because of you I come to know about P versus NP problem.
Secondly, Locking-unlocking is not required every time the request comes. Let me explain the ticketing solution briefly,
Suppose there is a case where one Tatkal quota seat needs to be allocated and requests for 300 people are in queue.
1) After locking, allocate a seat to the first person in queue and update the associated flag of seat that indicates its availability. Unlock it.
2) Now, onwards for each request in queue, it just needs to check the flag and as the seat is occupied, revert with message saying ‘No more seats are available.
3)’Locking-unlocking is needed for only once, at the time of updating flag for the empty seat. It is not required for 2nd step as it is intended for checking only. It is plain click and fetch for rest 299 requests.
4) Now, Lets see what practically is possible. Google served 87.8 billion queries in Dec-2009. (Source)That means around 33873 transactions per second.
That suggests, even if IRCTC could be 100 times less efficient than Google, it could solve 300 requests in 1 second.
Nikhil
11.18.2010
I passed to booking successfully after 2 attempts and at 08.02 AM
but no luck..
the quota of 236 tatkal tickets went down to W/L 15 ..
Somethings fishy going inside irctc ..
vinoth
11.19.2010
Awesome.The quick book option worked.Thanks so much dude for teaching this trick.
jay
11.23.2010
What can I do !!!!!!!!!When server is not available…..
musafir
12.17.2010
INDIAN RAILWAYS, IRCTC, RAILWAY BOARD, ALL RAILWAY EMPLOYEES & TICKET AGENTS ARE HAND-IN-GLOVE IN THIS WANTEDLY CREATED & KEPT ALIVE RACKET TO RAKE IN CRORES OF RUPEES EVERY DAY IN THEIR POCKETS!
THIS IS A COUNTRY OF ROGUES & RASCALS AT EVERY LEVEL. MEDIA & SOME HIGH & MIGHTY PEOPLE ONLY CAN TAKE ON THIS ROTTEN RAILWAYS SYSTEM BY ITS HORNS LIKE THE 2G SCAM!
IS THERE ANY ‘MAAI KA LAAL’ TO DO THE GOOD JOB FOR LAKHS OF SUFFERING PASSENGERS?
Shashank Garg
12.19.2010
Finally, a blog THAT MATTERS!
\m/..\m/
Just booked a ticket by following your instruction set, and now jumping with euphoria, Yay!!
Thanx a massive bunch
vaysage
12.22.2010
Nice and useful information.
Rohit Kothari
12.22.2010
Hey thanks for the useful trick and thanks for P-NP Algo too.
ganesh
01.03.2011
that is not working only at 8:00
abid hussain
01.11.2011
hi my name is abid and i have booked tickets using the quick book option and fire-fox..thats good but i can’t fill the form in advance..i have to do it manually after the stroke of 8.00..is there any way possible to fill forms in advance..I have seen tickets booked between 8.00 and 8.01 and mind u those were full 6 tickets in one form..these agents boast that they have a particular software thru which they fill forms in advance..how is this possible?
a
01.17.2011
The reason you don’t get Tatkal tickets are those agents who are associates of booking clerks and they get preference for Tatkal ticket from the backdoor. Go visit any reservation counter and you would not need any further evidence.
Kashyap Rushi
02.05.2011
Dear All,I am a agent for IRCTC e-ticketing.
I request you to clear your mind that rail way tickets are booked by AGENTS.
It is not true. Because now a days AGENTs can only booked tickets after 9.00am and the train for long routes are booked between 8.00 am to 8.01am only… at 8 am and ONE Second and above it the waiting you can see for more 500WL and it is seen 300 days out of 365 days
Second and most important thing that we are also facing a problem of booking of ticket.
I am daily losing 3 to 5 customers in season. So first visit the agent try for once that is he able to give the ticket or not and then blame on AGENT.
There is only solution that there should be competitor of RAILWAY like Mobile Operators.
Sagar
02.08.2011
Use software like Roboform in which you can store filled up forms in advance with single click and then at the time of booking just recall that saved form (called passcard) with single click..It will be done within a second. I do it all the time, it also allows me to save my bank transaction user name & passwords and don’t worry about using this software, it is 100% hackproof and encrypted…
yatin
02.14.2011
Thanks, Very useful information. I was searching for ways to book tatkaal tickets and you gave us many tricks. Thanks a ton.
I will try my luck soon to get tatkaal tickets.
lesh
02.22.2011
thanx dude,info was quite useful…just got a ticket booked from delhi to pune..\m/
manish gutt
04.16.2011
solution to such a problem can be
1) change the tatkal booking time from 8:00am to exactly 48 hrs before the train departure and for the trains having departure between 8:00 pm to 8:00am can have a common booking time of say 7:00 pm ( this common time is useful as ticket window gets closed at 8 pm). this time change would help the server work all day long and as a good speed.
2) divide the tatkal server into various sub-servers using virtual servers so that load from the main server is reduced.
devmuni
05.11.2011
Kuldeep,
you are very true… I am fully agree with you..
vjay
05.11.2011
There is no smart way. We are a nation of corrupt people.
Nitin Tandon
05.26.2011
Friends , u all r far behind. The developers of IRCTC has themselves developed automated softwares , which can book tickets in 15-20 seconds.
These softwares are being sold to agents who book tickets with normal user accounts.
Ramesh Kumar
05.29.2011
Hi ,
Am really upset with IRCTC website as i had booked a ticket on this site for my native varanasi . But unfortunenatly i had to cancel my trip due to unexpected reasons . I found that i had forgot my password and was unable to login and here started by quest to cancel the ticket.
I first wrote an email to IRCTC website and then logged a complaint at http://theindustrymeasure.com/2011/05/24/irctc-login/ . But there was response to my email and complaint and since the day of travel was nearing i was tensed as the amount was large as the tickets were 1st AC . Then i was told by my friend that IRCTC operates the call center and i tried to call them to no avail and after finally reaching the number i was faced with a rude agent who was not upto the mark in english and was mixing Hindi and English and also not understanding what i was saying . Finally he said that you need to call back as the system is slow .. After 3 more tries i got my tickets cancelled but it was a tense moment for me. I hope someone from IRCTC is listening …Please fix this asap.
satheesh
05.29.2011
In every railway head quarters, there will be an higher officer who has the full authorization of railway reservation system. he can able to confirm the ticket whatever the waiting list might be… Unless corrupt is rotted at all its level, Aam Aadmi fate to bare all this….
Dhruv
07.09.2011
Now that ‘Quick Book’ is not working, there is still another technique which any one can use to book confirmed tatkal ticket.
Read more at http://www.renjusblog.com/2011/07/irctc-tatkal-trick-book-confirmed.html
ding
08.07.2011
what are the chances of getting side lower in tatkal booking
Bharat Jain
08.25.2011
Use Autofill forms plugin of Firefox to fill the entire form in one click
atul
09.21.2011
NEW PROBLEM WITH TATKAL BOOKING AT IRCTC WEBSITE.
Today I was trying to book tatkal on IRCTC and I encounter what I think is new way of fraud. The ticketing goes on smoothly till payment and payment is also processed and amount debited from bank but this information sowhat not passed on to the server and hence the booking fails. Thus the money is debited but not passed on and hence Indian railway does not get paid and hence does not allow booking. I think IRCTC fraud has started again
atul
Sureshkumar
10.23.2011
Hi,One mad question,here lock mechanism or else i don’t know anything.you said 300 nos waiting for 3 tickets ok.then why “service unavailable error”?means server don’t have capacity to handle that many hits.i am talking about searching the train itself.as per you point who ever went first to the payment section seat should be allotted.if bank response fails seat will released to second queue person.now even though your getting message as available while booking seats will be allotted on basis of bank response,some time you may get WL also.so server allocating at the time of payment released.corect me if i am wrong
Sureshkumar
10.24.2011
Another update agents are using to create many personal logins, you know as per TCS developed passport tatkal appointment system does not allow a “IP” more than three appointments in a day even you are using different ID.to reduce agents…try you can even book..same locking mechanism but like train there wont be applicants but why dont irctc follow IP lock mechanism two tkts per booking two bookings allowed per IP..why not implemented…. sir Agents…i could see some blog agents are sitting in front of system,you people are selling as free of cost? 200% profit???
Sureshkumar
10.24.2011
sorry should be “try you can not even book”
Launchpad
10.28.2011
The best way to book ticket i just saw today. Tatkal ticket can be booked on the counter if u have no. till 9th. Carry a bedsheet and sleep on the platform. and i was struggling online(waiting waiting and service unavailable in the end)
Afir
12.21.2011
Great! Supportive information!! will try in this way….!!!
tushar
12.24.2011
now the quickbook cannot be used between 8am to10 am so the quickbook trick also fails
subbu
01.11.2012
great information.. thanks all
S
01.14.2012
You have provided a very quick way to book tatkal ticket, but unfortunately now the option to choose TATKAL has been removed from Quick Book
I have also noticed that IRCTC does not have the latest information on the rains running on specific routes.
Can you help further to book tickets easily.
arvind
01.15.2012
many time to book ticket irctc web site but alwaysa web site not working 8am
Niranjan
01.31.2012
Hi friends, its really a very good trick to try it out. I am sure you can have a very good result and response from this.
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