How can I download the IRCTC app?

You can download the IRCTC app from the Google Play Store for Android devices or the App Store for iOS devices.

What is the 'Opt Vikalp' option in the IRCTC app?

Opt Vikalp' is a feature that allows you to choose alternative trains on your selected travel dates, increasing the chances of getting a confirmed ticket.

How does the auto-upgrade feature work?

The auto-upgrade feature upgrades your ticket to a higher class if seats are unavailable in your chosen class, thus improving your chances of getting a confirmed seat.

What is the pay later feature in the IRCTC app?

The pay later feature allows you to book tickets immediately and pay for them later, which is useful for urgent bookings and Tatkal tickets.

When is the best time to book Tatkal tickets?

For non-A/C seats, book Tatkal tickets at 10 a.m., and for A/C seats, book at 11 a.m.

How can I download the IRCTC app?

You can download the IRCTC app from the Google Play Store for Android devices or the App Store for iOS devices.

What is the 'Opt Vikalp' option in the IRCTC app?

Opt Vikalp' is a feature that allows you to choose alternative trains on your selected travel dates, increasing the chances of getting a confirmed ticket.

How does the auto-upgrade feature work?

The auto-upgrade feature upgrades your ticket to a higher class if seats are unavailable in your chosen class, thus improving your chances of getting a confirmed seat.

What is the pay later feature in the IRCTC app?

The pay later feature allows you to book tickets immediately and pay for them later, which is useful for urgent bookings and Tatkal tickets.

When is the best time to book Tatkal tickets?

For non-A/C seats, book Tatkal tickets at 10 a.m., and for A/C seats, book at 11 a.m.

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Can’t Find a Confirmed Train Ticket Booking? Try This!

Komal Bajpai

Author

Updated: 19-04-2025 at 8:30 AM

While planning a train journey, the most difficult part is getting confirmed seats or confirmed train tickets. If you also face this issue while booking train tickets, make sure you read ahead to find out tricks to get a confirmed ticket for your next journey. Read below this article to learn how you can book your train ticket online. Also, find out some essential things that you must know when booking a train ticket.

About Train Ticket Quota System

Train ticket Quotas are meant to equal ticket distribution across various classes for instance ladies, foreign travellers, disabled and others. If quotas are not taken, availability of the unreserved seats is again declared nearer the date of the journey.

Types of Quotas

The following table showcases the list of different types of train ticket Quotas:

Types	Description
Tatkal Quota	Tatkal tickets are meant for those passengers who want to book a ticket in haste, which is a last moment rush. These tickets are available for sale one day before the date of travel, and generally, the fares are higher. To maximise your probability, ensure you make bookings immediately after the time slots are available.
Premium Tatkal Quota	This is a costier service than the Tatkal quota, which has a fixed number of tickets to be sold at a cheap rate. Premium Tatkal tickets can be easier to book when the trains are tonnage.
Ladies Quota	In this case, women alone, or women with children below the age of 12 are given special seats. The various trains have various numbers of reserved seats for women only.
Foreign Tourist Quota	This quota is strictly for foreign tourists visiting India. She said that it is not as competitive as other quotas because it contains several reserved seats for tourists.
General Quota
The most widespread kind of quota, which gives passengers the opportunity to purchase tickets in advance (up to 120 days). But the last minute can be challenging, particularly when it comes to the most frequently travelled routes.

Also read: Get Refund After Cancelled Train Ticket

Steps For Confirmed Train Ticket Booking

The below-mentioned steps showcase the step-by-step guide to a confirmed train ticket booking online on the IRCTC mobile app:-

Step 1: First, download the IRCTC app on your device and log in.

Step 2: After logging in, click on ‘My Bookings', where all your journeys booked will be visible.

Step 3: Click on the booking, and then the top three dots will be visible to you.

Step 4: Click on the three dots and choose ‘Opt Vikalp’.

Step 5: Then all these trains available on the chosen dates will be shown.

Step 6: Choose the trains according to your comfort and convenience.

Step 7: This will increase your chances of getting a confirmed train ticket, as it increases the number of options, giving you more chances.

Step 8: The second trick to remember while booking a train journey is to choose auto-upgrade.

Step 9: While booking a ticket, you choose the train class.

Step 10: What happens when you choose auto-upgradation is that even if you don’t get a ticket in your chosen class, they will auto-upgrade your class where there are tickets available.

Step 11: Sometimes, while booking, you might not get confirmed tickets as there might not be available seats.

Step 12: This option helps you get confirmed tickets for another class. This comes in handy, especially when you need to confirm your journey at short notice.

How To Get Confirm Train Tickets After Chart Preparation?

At times, people end up without a confirmed train ticket in their possession, even when they have an emergency trip to attend. This might be a result of a lack of seats in some quotas or some busy periods in the calendar. Chart preparation is a system where several passengers will be expecting a confirmed ticket but not all get it. However, Indian railways still provide choices to prepare tickets even after the final chart is prepared.

Booking Facility After Chart Preparation:

With the recent new policies from the Indian Railways authorities, they can know about available berths and even book their tickets post-chart preparation. This feature aims to:

Update information on the availability of seats instantly.
Optimise passengers to book the seats directly on the internet or through Ticket Examiner (TTE) travelling on the train.
Very similar to this, the transparent system also enhances the Indian Railways’ ticket revenue by selling tickets with last-minute spare seats.

Steps to Check Vacant Seats Online on IRCTC

Follow the below-mentioned steps to check the vacant seats online on IRCTC:-

Step 1: Visit the IRCTC Website or Rail Connect App

Now to access the IRCTC chart of our train tickets, you need to log in to your account and choose the “Charts/Vacancy” tab.

Step 2: Enter Details

Train name/number, date of the journey and station of boarding are required fields.

Step 3: View the Chart

To check the reservation chart, please click on “Get Train Chart”.
Check Seat Availability: Select your desired travel class to see the berth availability and vacant berths, details of the coach, and the type of seats available.

Booking Process for Vacant Seats After Chart Preparation

Follow the below-mentioned steps to book the vacant seats after chart preparation:-

Log in to the IRCTC Website/App: Sit only where there are no other people around you on the train.
Book Available Seats: If online booking cannot be done then the message is received saying that the TTE has to be consulted on-board.
Request the TTE for a Seat: The TTE can also help passengers on the train to find empty seats to board the train from the remaining carriage.

Benefits of the Online Chart Availability

Online Chart Availability is a system proven to be effective in such an environment, and just like all good work, the programme comes with a set of benefits that include the following;

Dynamic Updates: The number of seats available changes with the progress of the train journey.
Early Reservation: Till the train is four hours away, the seats it has rejected appear on the platform.
Reduced Waiting List Hassle: This system makes the feat for passengers with waitlisted tickets much less stressful.
Comprehensive Information: This chart shows train information, boarding and charting stations, travel class, and the chart update time.

Chart Preparation Timing

The below-mentioned points showcase the details of the chart preparation timing:-

First Chart: It could be prepared four hours before the time that the trip is expected to leave.
Final Chart: Readied half an hour before the time of the departure.

Through this facility passengers with Wait Listed or RAC tickets can get to know about their possible upgrade.

Factors Affecting Vacant Seat Availability

Conditions That Influence the Supply of Seats with Empty Spaces are as follows:
-

Reserved Quotas: From our previous analysis it is clear that certain quotas such as handicapped, and VIP might not be occupied and open up at the last moment.
Peak Travel Seasons: Even during the festive season or any other high-demand period availability of rooms might be low because there could be fewer no-shows.
Unexpected Train Cancellations or Natural Events: It is perhaps due to these factors that at times you get a befitting indication that there are flights with available and shortest seats.

Booking Vacant Seats for Offline Passengers

If you’re not an IRCTC user, you can still inquire about vacant seats:

Contact the TTE: Talk to the TTE on the train, who responds positively affirming the reservation if he finds a seat unoccupied.
PRS Reservation Counters: Such counters must provide information regarding the availability of seats on the train and other information on how to book tickets.

Can Waitlisted Tickets Be Confirmed After Chart Preparation?

Yes, passengers with a waitlisted ticket can potentially secure a confirmed seat after chart preparation by:

Booking Available Seats through IRCTC or the TTE: The TTE can allot empty berths to those who are carrying their tickets without any confirmed reservations.

IRCTC VIKALP

The Vikalp Scheme is specially designed for passengers who have got a waitlisted ticket by providing an option to travel in the same rake on the same route. The scheme does not entail a guarantee to get a seat but when the service is fully booked, a passenger can take another available service free of charge.

How It Works: Whenever you make a booking, opt for Vikalp and if some place is freed up, your ticket will be transferred to an alternate train.
Booking Process: Virality appears when booking tickets through the IRCTC website or the app when selecting your train and going to the Vikalp choice for potential trains.

What Does WL Numbers Mean?

WL stands for Wait List Numbers on the tickets of Indian Railways that describe an individual’s place on this waitlist for a train ticket. These numbers are assigned every time a train is fully booked, and waitlisted passengers are tagged with WL numbers.

Types of Waiting Lists And Quotas

Types	Description
WL (Waiting List)	This is the common waiting list where you are assigned a number for instance WL 24.
LDWL (Ladies Waiting List)	Reserved for women travellers. Working identically to the WL, this one deletes a single value from the list.
CKWL (Tatkal Waiting List)	Another innovation for Tatkal tickets is a separate waiting list. If you are from the lower numbers, then there is a great probability that you’ll get your confirmation.
Another term to consider is PQWL: Pooled Quota Waiting List.	This waiting list has a lesser chance of getting a confirmation, it is for tickets from a pooled quota for many trains.

Things To Remember When Booking A Ticket

Below mentioned points showcase a quick check on the important things to remember while train ticket booking or getting a confirmed train ticket which are as follows:-

If you need to book a train ticket immediately and want to eliminate the paying process, make sure to avail of the pay later feature. This was introduced by the IRCTC for Indians who wish to pay later. This feature can also be used to buy Tatkal tickets.
Avoid booking tickets on the weekends, as there will be a lot of people trying to book at the same time, increasing the traffic on the app and decreasing the chances of getting tickets.
If you have already planned for a journey well in advance, avoid booking the tickets at the last moment. Book the tickets well in advance to increase your chances of getting confirmed seats. You can book 120 days before your journey.
For unplanned and urgent journeys, take Tatkal tickets. For non-A/C seats, you can book at 10 a.m., and for A/C seats, you can book at 11 a.m.
The IRCTC app undergoes maintenance every day from 11:45 p.m. to 2:00 a.m. IST. So, make sure you book your tickets before this period, as you will not be allowed to book tickets.

Tips And Tricks To Get Confirm Ticket

Tips and tricks that help to Booking a Confirmed Train Ticket are as follows:-

Try Different Quotas

This means going for quotas such as Tatkal, Ladies Quota, General Quota etc., in order to maximise your chance of being on the train.

Change Origin/Destination

Alternatively, try changing your boarding station or your destination, to one that is near the same route as you wish to travel for more options of available seats.

Switch Trains

When looking for a particular route and one is not available because the journey could be on two different trains buy two tickets. For example, you can travel from Mumbai to Jaipur and from Jaipur to Delhi.

Use Premium Tatkal

It’s very difficult to get a regular Tatkal ticket; go for the Premium Tatkal as it is available more but costs more.

Other Ways To Get A Confirm Rail Ticket

There are other ways to book a confirmed train ticket apart from booking before the opening of the booking period as mentioned by the expert below.

1. Travel on Weekdays

It is best conceived on the notion that you are most likely going to get a confirmed train ticket if you plan it on weekdays, that is, from Monday to Thursday. These days are often used by few people compared to the weekends hence tickets are easy to come by.

2. Use OTP-Less Payment

So while booking, opt for the payment method which does not need OTP like UPI. One plus point about these websites is that even during the course of a booking if something goes wrong, your money is immediately refunded.

3. Regularly Check PNR Status

If you have a PNR status of a Waitlisted ticket always check your status for it to turn to Confirmed. This may assist you in tracking your intended travel arrangements.

Conclusion

The IRCTC wanted to make the whole process of booking hassle-free and easy for their passengers, ensuring a safe and comfortable journey right from the start. So, if you are a person who constantly travels and finds it hard to get confirmed tickets, do not forget to try these tricks out the next time. Also, inform your family and friends of these features, as they will come in handy for them as well.

For more context, download the Rail Connect app, available for both Android and iOS users.

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