Guides for Indian train travellers

Plain-language explanations of railway booking and refund rules. Each guide links to the IRCTC or Ministry of Railways page it is based on.

Tatkal ticket booking: timings, charges and rulesOpening times, charges per class, who can book, and cancellation.Aadhaar and online train ticket booking: what the rules sayWhich bookings need Aadhaar, from which date, and the agent time limits.How far ahead can you book a train ticket? The 60-day ruleHow the 60 days are counted, and the exceptions.Train cancelled, diverted or late: refunds and how to file a TDRWhen a refund is automatic, the TDR reasons, and the time limits.Waitlisted e-ticket after the chart: can you travel?What happens to a waitlisted e-ticket once the chart is made.Lower berths for senior citizens and women, and the Ladies quotaAutomatic lower berths, the quotas, and how Ladies quota works.How to cancel an IRCTC e-ticket: charges, TDR and deadlinesCharges by time before departure, and the rules after the chart.IRCTC VIKALP: moving a waitlisted ticket to another trainWho can opt in, how trains are allotted, and the charges.

Every guide names the official page it comes from, with its date. When a rule changes, we update the guide and the "last checked" date at the top. Spotted a mistake? Tell us.