Railway ministry tightens rules for tatkal bookings

The Railway ministry has reduced the advanced reservation period for tatkal bookings to one day, excluding the day of journey, from two days at present. In other steps to rationalise the tatkal scheme and stop its misuse, the ministry has said there will be no refund on confirmed tatkal tickets henceforth. The new system will be put in place within ten days.

Announcing this in New Delhi today, railway minister Dinesh Trivedi said, “We found out that regular journeys were taking place on tatkal. But the idea is that the scheme be used by passenger in emergency. Tatkal booking is a source of earning for the railways. But this is not the way we would like to earn money. We are putting in restrictions for the benefit of passengers who need to actually travel in emergency.”

Apart from this, the ministry has also announced steps to prevent the system being hijacked by the touts and unauthorised agents.
To ensure that the person who is purchasing the ticket only travels on it, a photo copy of the prescribed identity card will have to be attached with the reservation requisition slip at the time of booking.

The final reservation chart will display such identity card numbers.
The identity details will have to be disclosed even while booking ticket via website. Also, only four seats will be booked against one PNR in tatkal, against six in the normal bookings.

To ensure only needy passengers get to book the tatkal tickets, the ministry has restricted the travel agents from booking tatkal tickets on counters as well as internet between 8 am and 10 am.