IRCTC or Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation is the e-ticketing and catering arm of the Indian Railways. It was set up by the Ministry of Railways in 1999 to improve the quality of catering services on trains and to promote domestic and international tourism through railways. Over the years, IRCTC has become synonymous with online rail ticket booking in India.
Let’s understand what IRCTC is, its key services, how to use it for booking train tickets online, and more.
An Overview of IRCTC
IRCTC is a Public Sector Enterprise of the Government of India under the Ministry of Railways. It manages catering services on board trains and major static catering units at railway stations. IRCTC also handles online ticketing operations of the Indian Railways including e-tickets, tatkal tickets, tour packages, and more.
The main objectives of IRCTC are:
To improve, manage and operate railway catering and hospitality services.
To promote domestic and international tourism through railway services.
To develop, manage and operate internet ticketing systems for booking of rail tickets.
To manage hospitality services like budget hotels, retiring rooms, tour packages, etc.
Services offered by IRCTC
The major services offered by IRCTC include:
Online Rail Ticketing
IRCTC allows passengers to book reserved train tickets online through its website www.irctc.co.in or mobile app. You can book regular tickets, tatkal tickets, and platform tickets seamlessly within minutes. IRCTC uses high-end encryption technology for secured payments gateways. It also offers features like train availability and PNR status check.
Catering Services
IRCTC manages on-board catering services in trains and static catering units at major railway stations. You can find options like meals, snacks, beverages, rail neer bottles on trains. Premium trains like Rajdhanis and Shatabdis also have onboard pantry cars for catering.
Tour Packages and Hospitality Services
IRCTC offers domestic and international tour packages covering popular tourist destinations. You can customise your plans and book hotels, meals, and sightseeing through IRCTC.
IRCTC also manages hospitality services like budget hotels, retiring rooms, lounges, and more located near major railway stations.
Air and Bus Ticketing
Through its travel arm called IRCTC Air, you can book flight tickets at competitive prices within India or international destinations. IRCTC also lets you book bus tickets online for state road transport and private bus operators.
Retail Services
IRCTC has diversified into many retail services such as:
Online shopping at IRCTC eCommerce portal
Food delivery services through IRCTC eCatering
Private train booking, Maharajas’ Express luxury trains
Advertising and publicity through Rail Neer, etc.
How to use the IRCTC website/app?
Using the IRCTC website and app to book train tickets online is very easy and convenient. Here are the key steps:
User Registration
Visit www.irctc.co.in and click on ‘Register’ to create your IRCTC user id and password. Provide details like name, mobile no, email, residence, etc. An OTP will be sent to your mobile and email for verification.
Ticket Booking
Enter source station, destination station, journey date, class, quota, train name/number (optional).
Select the train and preferred class (CC, SL, 2A, 3A, etc) and quota (general, ladies, tatkal, etc) as per your choice.
Proceed to the passenger details page and fill names, ages, berth preference.
Make payment using credit/debit card, net banking, UPI, etc.
Your e-ticket will be generated with full details.
PNR Status, Availability Check
You can check your ticket status using the PNR number anytime. Enter the PNR on IRCTC website home page to get status like confirmation status, coach position, booking quotas, etc.
You can also check live train seat availability, quota seats, and chances of confirmation before booking.
Food Ordering
While booking ticket, you can opt for eCatering service to order food of your choice from leading brands like KFC, Domino’s, etc. It will be delivered to your booked seat/berth.
Onboard catering meals can also be ordered along with ticket booking based on availability.
Tour Packages
IRCTC offers end-to-end tour package services – you can customise and book tour packages for popular destinations within India or international locations. You can select hotels, meals, sightseeing, transfers, etc. as per your requirements on IRCTC’s tourism website.
The IRCTC website and app offer a seamless online ticketing experience with enhanced features, security, and payment options. By registering on IRCTC, you can book train tickets online in a few simple steps anywhere, anytime.
Benefits of Booking Tickets on IRCTC
Booking train tickets through the IRCTC portal comes with many benefits:
Convenience – Book tickets 24×7 from anywhere through website or mobile app
Saves Time – Instant ticket booking without long queues at railway stations
Paperless Tickets – Download e-tickets on your phone or print yourself
Secure Payments – Multiple payment options like cards, net banking with enhanced security
Real Time Availability – Check train seats availability, high chances of confirmation
Tatkal Booking – Book tatkal tickets faster on IRCTC before counters open at stations
Food Ordering – Pre-order meals while booking tickets for delivery onboard
PNR Status – Check live status and coach/berth position anytime
Cancellation – Cancel confirmed tickets online and get refund (based on rules)
Grievances – Raise complaints online for deficiencies in services
By using the IRCTC online booking system, you can save time and effort involved in manual ticket booking at railway stations.
IRCTC Ticketing Process Flow
The step-by-step process flow for booking train tickets on IRCTC is:
User Registration – Create your account on www.irctc.co.in with details like name, mobile no, email, residence address, etc.
Login – Use your username (or registered email/mobile no) and password to login securely on IRCTC eTicketing website.
Travel Details – Enter your journey details like source, destination, travel date, class of travel, quota, train name/number (optional)
Passenger Details – Mention passenger names, ages, concessions (if any), food choice, berth preference. Add details for each passenger one by one.
Summary – Review the complete ticket details, fare, reservations charges before confirming.
Payment – Pay securely using credit/debit cards, net banking, UPI, IRCTC prepaid cards, etc.
Ticket – Your ticket will be booked and you will receive an SMS and email with ticket details.
Download E-ticket – Download the ticket as PDF or take a print out. Booked tickets will also be saved in your account under the Booked Tickets tab.
By completing the above steps, you can book regular reserved tickets, tatkal tickets, and platform tickets easily on IRCTC portal.
IRCTC Ticket Booking Charges and Rules
While booking train tickets on IRCTC, you need to pay certain charges apart from the basic train fare:
Convenience Fee – Rs 15 per ticket for non-AC classes; Rs 30 per ticket for AC classes
Service Charge – Rs 20-40 per ticket depending on class
Tatkal tickets have additional Tatkal charges (10% of basic fare for non-AC; 30% for AC)
Premium trains like Rajdhanis, Shatabdis have dynamic fare pricing which keeps changing based on demand.
You can book a maximum of 6 tickets together in one session from an IRCTC account. To book more tickets, you need to create additional accounts.
Tickets can be booked 120 days in advance for long distance trains. Advance booking period is 60 days for Rajdhani/Shatabdi/Duronto trains. Tatkal booking opens 1 day in advance.
Cancellation of confirmed tickets is allowed before chart preparation. Refund amount will be as per railway refund rules. Tatkal tickets are non-refundable.
Hope this detailed guide helps you understand IRCTC’s services and how you can use its website/app for easy train ticket booking online. Let me know if you need any other details!