Pune: The Indian Railways has introduced some new rules regarding booking of tickets via Tatkal services, which allows passengers to book tickets at the last minute in cases of emergency.
According to a Pune Railway Division official, “The move is aimed at avoiding problems related to Tatkaal ticket booking ahead of the summer rush. A customer can book tickets on the Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) website, on the tatkal quota - the service, which was only available for general reservation categories in Tatkaal till now.”
The official said, “According to the new rules, passengers have to book tickets a day before the travel. For AC coach tickets, the bookings will start at 10 am, while for general coaches, it would be 11 am. They can claim a complete refund of train fare and Tatkal charges if the train fails to leave within three hours of its scheduled time,” he said.
“A passenger can also claim a full refund if he/she is shifted to a lower class and doesn’t want to travel in that class. A passenger will be paid back the difference if he/she agrees to travel in the lower class.”
What the new rules say?
A passenger can ask for a refund if the train’s route is diverted and his station/stop is not on the new route.
If a train’s route is diverted and a passenger doesn’t want to travel on that route, he can ask for a full refund.
According to the new rules, passengers have to book tickets a day before the travel. For AC coach tickets, the bookings will start at 10 am, while for general coaches, it would be 11 am.
