IRCTC train ticket booking: Reservation period extended, tatkal brought back

Indian Railways partially resumed services with 30 special AC trains on May 12 after a gap of nearly two months. The train services were suspended in the last week of March to mitigate the virus spread. Initially, passengers could only book tickets via IRCTC website or mobile application. Later, the national transporter allowed the travellers to buy tickets from reservation counters at railway stations.

The tatkal ticket booking facility will also be applicable for 200 special mail express trains that will commence from June 1. The Indian Railways also permitted booking of parcel and luggage in these passenger trains. "Booking of parcel and luggage shall be permitted in all these 230 trains," an official statement said.

The four-month advance booking of tickets will be applicable for 30 trains operational since May 12, as well as the special trains that will resume operations from June. The modification in advance booking will be applicable from May 31. “The changes shall be implemented with effect from 08:00 hrs of train booking date of 31 May 2020 onwards," it said.

"Other terms e.g., current booking, tatkal quota allocation of seats to road side stations etc to be same as in regular time tabled trains," the Indian Railways added.

In a bid to restart the train services in the country, Indian Railways is all set to introduce 200 special trains from June 1. These trains will be fully reserved trains having both air-conditioned and non air-conditioned classes. The bookings for these trains have already started. Travellers can book tickets via IRCTC website or app or from the PRS counters, post offices, and through the IRCTC agents.