Indian Railway’s Tatkal Ticket Booking Rules and Regulations

As announced by Hon’ble Minister of Railways while presenting Railway Budget 2009-10 in the parliament on 03-07-2009, it has been decided to reduce Tatkal Charges as given below.

The Tatkal Charges have been fixed as a percentage of fare at the rate of 10% of basic fare for second class and 30% of basic fare for all other classes subject to minimum and maximum as given in the table below.

• The above charges will be levied uniformly both in peak period & non-peak periods.
• Tatkal tickets will be issued for actual distance of travel, instead of end-to-end, subject to the distance restriction applicable to the train. The same Tatkal berth/seat may be booked in multiple legs till preparation of charts. At the time of preparation of charts, the unutilized portion may be released to the General RAC/Waiting list passengers.
• The tatkal facility will be introduced in Executive Class of Shatabadi Express trains also, by earmarking 10% of the accommodation available i.e. 5 seats per coach.
• Tatkal booking opens at  8 AM on One day in advance the actual date of journey excluding the date of journey w.e.f. of 21.11.2011(commercial circular no:59 of 2011). e.g. for a train leaving on 6^th, Tatkal Booking will Commence at 8 AM on 5^th.
• No duplicate Tatkal tickets shall be issued. Duplicate Tatkal tickets shall be issued only in exceptional cases on payment of full fare including Tatkal
  charges.
• Tatkal tickets shall be issued only on production of one of the eight prescribed proofs of identity (as mentioned in Commercial Circular No.5 of 2011 issued vide letter No.2010/TG.I/20/P/Tatkal dated 28.01.2011) as per procedure explained below:-
• For this purpose, a self-attested photocopy of the proof of identity of any one passenger shall be attached to the requisition slip.
• The details of the identity proof shall be captured by the system and indicated on the reserved tickets as well on the reservation chart.
• During the journey, the passenger, whose identity card number has been indicated on the ticket, will have to produce original proof of identity indicated on the ticket, failing which all the passengers booked on the ticket shall be treated as traveling without ticket and charged accordingly. The indication will come on the ticket regarding carrying the same original proof of identity during the journey, as indicated on the ticket.
• If the passenger whose identity card number is indicated on the ticket is not traveling, all other passengers booked on that ticket, if found traveling in the train, will be treated as traveling without ticket and charged accordingly.

• Agents / RTSAs shall be restricted from the booking Tatkal tickets at the counters between 0800 hours and 1000 hours. This restriction shall be
  enforced through frequent inspection at the counters. The agents both web service agents and web agents shall also be restricted from booking Tatkal tickets on the internet between 0800 hours and 1000 hours.
• Even for internet booking for Tatkal tickets, the passenger shall enter the identity proof type and number, which is to be used for travel. These details shall be printed on the ERS/indicated on the MRMNRM as well as in the reservation chart.
• It will be possible to book a maximum of only four passengers per PNR for tatkal tickets.
• The web services agents of IRCTC will be permitted to book only one Tatkal ticket per train per day on the internet.
• The facility of change of name is not permitted on the bookings made under Tatkal scheme
• For the purpose of granting refunds & issuing TDRs for W/L, the time limit will be the same as applicable for refund of normal tickets.

REFUNDS – No refund will be granted on cancellation of confirmed Tatkal tickets/duplicate tatkal ticket except in case of circumstances mentioned in para 2 of instructions contained in Commercial Circular no. 53 of 2006 issued vide letter no. 2006/TGII/ 20/P/Tatkal, dated 30.06.2006.

• However, a full refund of fare and tatkal charges will be granted on the tickets booked under Tatkal scheme in the following circumstances:-
• If the train is delayed by more than 3 hours at the journey originating point of the passenger & not the boarding point if the passenger’s journey originating point and boarding point are different.
• If the train is to run on a diverted route and passenger is not willing to travel.
• If the train is to run on diverted route and boarding station or the destination or both the stations are not on the diverted route.
• In case of non-attachment of the coach in which Tatkal accommodation has been earmarked and the passenger has not been provided accommodation in the same class.
• If the party has been accommodated in a lower class and does not want to travel. In case the party travels in the lower class, the passenger will be given a refund of difference of fare and also the difference of Tatkal charges, if any.

Source: Indian Railway Official Website