However, in case you have a second class ticket and could not get reservation in sleeper class and

desire to travel in any upper class, you may approach the on-board ticket checking staff, who can upgrade your ticket accordingly subject to availability of accommodation except in Rajdhani/Shatabdi Express trains. How do I find out the current status of my unconfirmed ticket ? You can contact the Reservation Enquiry Counters at your nearest Computerised Reservation Centre or call the Interactive Voice Response System, available at major stations. Remember to always quote the 10 digit PNR Number indicated on the upper left hand corner of your ticket, to find out the current status. The current status of your ticket can also be obtained from the Indian Railways Passenger Information Website: www.indianrailways.gov.in. This site also provides real-time information relating to availability of seats (and berths in a train even between a pair of stations), timetable and train fares etc. For general information on Indian Railways, passengers can access the Indian Railways website : www.indianrailways. gov.in Indian Railways provide telephonic enquiry services through a universal number 139 which is accessible from any where in the country without dialing any STD code. This number can be accessed from any type of phone (mobile, landline, WLL etc). Information with regard to arrival/departure/running position of trains, accommodation availability, current status of ticket, fare enquiry etc. are disseminated through this number. After getting connected to 139, the information with regard to arrival/departure of a train at a particular station can be obtained by dialing the train no. and STD code of that station. Facility of Enquiry by sending SMS on 139 The current status of the ticket, status of arrival/departure of train, availability of train accommodation, fare enquiry, etc. can also be obtained by sending SMS to 139. For details kindly visit website www.irctc.co.in Am I required to carry proof of Identity during journey in AC Classes ? Anyone of the passengers/the passenger booked on the tickets issued from computerised Passenger Reservation System (PRS) and internet (i-ticket), undertaking journey in AC-3 tier, AC-2 tier, 1st AC, AC Chair Car and Executive classes, have to carry anyone of the nine prescribed proofs of identity (in original) during the journey and produce the same as and when required failing which all the passengers booked on that ticket will be treated as without ticket and charged accordingly. The list of valid proofs of identity are as under: Voter Photo identity card issued by Election Commission of India. Passport. PAN Card issued by Income Tax Department. Driving Licence issued by RTO. Photo identity card having serial number issued by Central/State Government. Student Identity Card with photograph issued by recognized School/ College for their students. Nationalised Bank Passbook with photograph. Credit Cards issued by Banks with laminated photograph and Unique Identification Card Aadhaar. NOTE : This provision is applicable to General tickets and not Tatkal, which are governed by separate instructions. Tatkal Scheme The salient features of existing Tatkal scheme are as under:a. Tatkal booking opens at 8 AM on the previous day of journey excluding date of journey from the train originating station. For example, if train is to depart from the originating station on the
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b.

c. d.

e.

f.

second of the month, the Tatkal quota for that particular train shall open at 0800 hours on the first of the month. The reservation under this scheme is available only upto the time of preparation of charts. At the time of preparation of charts, the vacant Tatkal accommodation is released to the RAC/waitlisted passengers and no Tatkal charges are realised from such passengers. The facility of change of name is not permitted on the bookings made under Tatkal scheme. No duplicate Tatkal tickets is issued. Duplicate Tatkal tickets is issued only in exceptional cases on payment of full fare including Tatkal charges. The reservation under this scheme can be sought by full fare paving passengers only and no passenger holding concessional ticket is allowed to avail reservation under this scheme. Tatkal tickets are issued only on production of one of the nine prescribed proofs of identity as mentioned below and passenger should carry the same proof of identity(in original) during the journey failing which all the passengers booked on that ticket are considered as travelling without ticket and charged accordingly:i. Voter Photo Identity Card issued by Election Commission of India. ii. Passport iii. P AN Card issued by Income Tax Department iv. Driving Licence issued by RTO v. Photo Identity Card issued by Central/State Government vi. Student Identity Card with photograph issued by recognized School/College for their Students vii. Nationalised Bank Passbook with photograph and viii. Credit Cards issued by Banks with laminated photograph. ix. Unique identification Card Aadhaar .

g.

The procedure for booking Tatkal ticket is as under:For booking Tatkal ticket, a self attested photo copy of anyone of the proofs of identity mentioned above, of anyone passenger, is to be attached to the requisition slip. (ii) The details of the identity proof is captured by the system and indicated on the reserved tickets as well on the reservation chart. (iii) It is not mandatory for the passenger(s) to go to the counter to book the Tatkal ticket, however, the proof is to be sent in the aforementioned manner. (iv) 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 MRM/VRM as well as in the reservation chart. (v) During the journey, the passenger, whose identity card number has been indicated on the ticket, has to produce original proof of identity indicated on the ticket, failing which all the passengers booked on the ticket are treated as travelling without ticket and charged accordingly. Indication comes on the ticket regarding carrying the same original proof of identity during the journey, as indicated on the ticket. (vi) If the passenger whose identity card number is indicated on the ticket is not travelling, all other passengers booked on that ticket, if found travelling in train, will be treated as travelling without ticket and charged accordingly. No refund is granted on the confirmed Tatkal tickets. However, full refund of fare and Tatkal charges is granted on the tickets booked under Tatkal scheme under certain circumstances explained below:(i)

h.

i.

ii. iii.

iv.

v.

If the train is delayed by more than 3 hours at the journey originating point of the passenger & not the boarding point if the passengers 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 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 lower class and does not want to travel. In case the party travels in lower class, the passenger will be given refund of difference of fare and also the difference of Tatkal charges, if any.

i.

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:Class of Travel Reserved Second Sitting (2S) Sleeper AC Chair Car AC-3 tier AC-2 tier Executive Minimum Tatkal Charges (in ) 10 75 75 200 200 200 Maximum Tatkal Charges (in ) 15 150 150 300 300 300

j. k.

Tatkal tickets are issued for actual distance of travel, subject to the distance restriction applicable to the train. Agents / RTSAs have been restricted from the booking Tatkal tickets at the counters between 0800 hours and 1000 hours. The agents both web service agents and web agents have also been restricted from booking Tatkal tickets on the internet between 0800 hours and 1000 hours. It is possible to book a maximum of only four passengers per PNR for Tatkal tickets. With a view to optimise the utilisation of available accommodation in train, a scheme to upgrade full-fare paying passengers to the higher class without any extra charge against the available vacant accommodation is available in all Mail/Express trains having sleeping accommodation. The passengers are required to give the option for being considered for upgradation. If no option is given at the time of filling up of requisition form, the same is treated as yes and passenger(s) can be considered for upgradation. The passengers for upgradation are selected automatically (except in cases where the passenger has shown his unwillingness to be upgraded) on random basis by the System at the time of preparation of reservation charts. All the passengers on a ticket are upgraded together. It is not done for block booking transactions. If a passenger, who has been upgraded, cancels his ticket, cancellation charges of the original class only are payable. It is advisable to avail the facility (by exercising the option in the affirmative) and always to check the status (coach/ berth numbers) before boarding the train.
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l.

The Up-gradation Scheme