Maximum of 6 tickets can be booked by an individual user in a month – New restriction by IRCTC

Maximum of 6 tickets can be booked by an individual user in a month – New restriction by IRCTC

Press Information Bureau
Government of India
Ministry of Railways

28-January-2016 16:34 IST

Railway Ministry introduces new checks on booking of e-ticket/i-ticket through IRCTC website with a view to further prevent possible misuse

Under the new provisions a maximum of 6 tickets can be booked online by an individual user in a month on IRCTC website

This new provision will come into effect w.e.f. 15th February, 2015

The move aims to deter touts and to facilitate genuine users

In order to facilitate genuine users and prevent touting activities, various checks have already been put in place for the booking of e-ticket/i-ticket on IRCTC website including the following existing provision: –

1. Individuals are allowed only 2 tickets per user-ID in a day (for ARP booking) from 08:00 hours to 10.00 hours.

2. Individuals are allowed only 2 tickets per user-ID in a day (for Tatkal booking) from 10:00 hours to 12:00 hours.

3. Quick Book Option is disabled from 08:00 to 12:00 hours

4. All types of ticketing agents (YTSK, RTSA, IRCTC agents etc.) have been debarred from booking tickets during the first thirty minutes of opening of booking i.e. from 08:00 to 08:30 hours for general bookings, and from 10:00 to 10:30 hours and 11:00 to 11:30 hours for Tatkal booking in AC and non-AC classes respectively.

5. Booking is not allowed through e-wallet and cash cards from 08:00 to 12:00 hours.

6. There is only one booking in one user login session except for return/onward journey between 08:00 to 12:00 hours.

To further prevent any possible misuse, Ministry of Railways has now decided that effective from 15th February, 2016, a maximum of 6 tickets can be booked online by an individual user in a month on IRCTC website. This will replace the existing system under which a maximum of 10 tickets can be booked online through IRCTC website in a month by an individual. However, the existing condition will continue wherein these booking will be subject to a limit of booking 2 opening Tatkal tickets in 10:00- 12:00 hours period in a day and 2 opening Advance Reservation Period (ARP) tickets in 08:00-10:00 hours period in a day. 

This has been done keeping in view the analysis of usage of quota of 10 tickets which indicated that 90% of users are booking upto 6 tickets in a given month and only 10% are making more than 6 tickets. It is suspected that the 10% users might be involved in touting activities. Therefore to deter such touts and to facilitate genuine users, it has been decided that a maximum of 6 tickets can be booked by an individual user in a month.

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Tatkal Booking Timings Change – Online Booking Passengers Pleased

Tatkal Booking Timings Change – Online Booking Passengers Pleased

Revision of Tatkal Timings – Passengers are happy with the steps taken by the Railways?

There is now a reduction in the jamming of the IRCTC website that occurred because AC and Second Class passengers were trying, at the same time, to book tatkal tickets online. It has therefore now become easier for passengers to book second class tickets on the internet.

Nearly 15000 tickets are being booked through IRCTC website at tatkal hours. The huge traffic will be diverted into two segments such as AC and Non AC.

Timings for the Railway Tatkal ticket booking have been changed from 15th June 2015. Previously the booking under Tatkal Scheme opens at 10.00 hrs on the previous day of journey from train originating station for all classes. According to the new schedule, booking for the AC coaches will open at 10 AM and ticket bookings for the other non AC classes are open at 11 AM.

And one more important decision taken by the Railway Board is completely debarred from booking tickets during the first thirty minutes of opening of booking for all authorized IRCTC Agents.

Generally the total number of seats of a train are divided into various quotas. Such as General Quota, Tatkal Quota, Ladies Quota and Pooled Quota. These quotas will differ for different trains.

30% of the total available Berths on a train are allocated for Tatkal Quota, and 10% are set aside for sitting tickets. Approximately 2 seats will be allocated in each coach for Ladies Quota. And nearly 8% of seats reserved for Pooled Quota. In AC Coaches, 16 tickets for each 3-tier AC coach and 10 tickets of 2-tier AC coaches are also being allocated for the online tatkal booking.

Accommodation reserved not only for Ladies, also Sr. Citizen and Pregnant Women. Accommodation of six berths in sleeper class of all the trains is earmarked for exclusive use of lady passengers. In addition to this a combined quota of 2 lower berths is earmarked in sleeper class, AC 3-Tier and AC 2-Tier classes for Sr. Citizens, Female passengers 45 years of age and above traveling alone and pregnant women in all trains. Pregnant women will be required to submit a certificate of pregnancy certified by one registered Medical Practitioner at the time of booking against the quota.

So totally 40% tickets are being set aside for quota reservations. With more than 80% of the population preferring to travel in second class, it becomes a moral duty of the Government to give due importance to it.

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IRCTC plans to reduce the payment transaction time about 1.5 to 2.5 minutes per ticket booking online

IRCTC plans to reduce the payment transaction time about 1.5 to 2.5 minutes per ticket booking online

15% of online rail tickets booked from Bihar

Patna (PBNE): The Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) created a record on April 1 by booking about 13 lakh e-tickets on its site, www.irctc.co.in. Normally, 5 to 6 lakh tickets are booked online from the IRCTC site every day. Bihar has become a major state accounting for about 15% e-tickets being booked daily.

According to IRCTC manager Sandip Dutta, Patna and Darbhanga are the leading places in Bihar for booking e-tickets these days. Interestingly, Bihar and UP are the major states from where online tickets are being booked from rural areas yielding good revenue to the railways, he said, adding the maximum number of e-ticket service agents in rural areas are also in these two states.

Dutta said out of 13 lakh e-tickets booked on April 1, about 15% were from Bihar alone. About 1.5 lakh people in Bihar book e-tickets every day. Buoyed by the increase in the online ticket booking system, the IRCTC has planned measures to providing better services to its customers duly registered with its site www. irctc.co.in, he said.

Railways online ticket reservation through the IRCTC site has registered a big increase compared to about 40,000 bookings per day in 2008, sources said. According to sources, the IRCTC has been making all possible efforts to expand its network to other private sectors.

Confirming the rush for the IRCTC site for ticket booking either online or through SMS system, the IRCTC senior official said, “The IRCTC has managed to maintain its lead position in the domestic travel ticket bookings. But it is keen to make its portal a ‘one-stop shop’ for planning tours and other services,” he said. According to sources, the IRCTC, a Railways’ wing, has already become an agent of International Air Transport Association (IATA). The IRCTC has tied up with Air India and Jet Airways to provide services to passengers, sources said.

The IRCTC ticket business constitutes about 40% of its total revenue. It is also planning to reduce the payment transaction time which is about 1.5 to 2.5 minutes per ticket booking online.

Read more at: Times of India

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