Tatkal facility was first introduced in 1997 for passengers who have to undertake a train journey at a short notice. Later, it was gradually introduced in other trains. Before you check for booking under Tatkal quota, check the general quota availability, according to the IRCTC (Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation) website – irctc.co.in. The bulk of the Tatkal tickets is booked within minutes after the Tatkal facility opens. Today, IRCTC processes about 1,30,000 Tatkal transactions daily. IRCTC has been introducing new payments facilities for booking tickets under both Tatkal and general quota. Remember: No concession is allowed in train ticket booking on a Tatkal basis.
Tatkal Ticket Booking Timings
Booking for Tatkal tickets open one day in advance of the actual date of journey. Bookings for Tatkal tickets of AC classes open at 10:00 am, and for non-AC classes at 11:00 am.
Tatkal Reservation Charges
The Tatkal charges have been fixed as a percentage of fare at the rate of 10 per cent of basic fare for second class and 30 per cent of basic fare for all other classes subject to minimum and maximum as given in the table below:-
Minimum, Maximum Tatkal Charges
| Class of travel | Minimum Tatkal charges (in Rs.) | Maximum Tatkal charges (in Rs.) | Minimum distance for charge (in km) |
| Second (sitting) | 10 | 15 | 100 |
| Sleeper | 100 | 200 | 500 |
| AC Chair Car | 125 | 225 | 250 |
| AC 3 Tier | 300 | 400 | 500 |
| AC 2 Tier | 400 | 500 | 500 |
| Executive | 400 | 500 | 250 |
Tatkal Train Ticket Cancellation
No refund is granted on cancellation of confirmed Tatkal tickets.
Tatkal Ticket Cancellation For Wait-Listed, RAC Tickets
RAC (Reservation Against Cancellation) or waitlisted tickets booked under Tatkal quota: Refund is made if the ticket is cancelled up to 30 minutes before the scheduled departure, according to the IRCTC website.
Where confirmed reservation has been provided to an RAC or wait-listed ticket holder at any time up to final preparation of charts, such a ticket is treated as confirmed.
TDR Filing In Case of Tatkal Booking
If a train is running late by more than three hours or the train is cancelled, please file Ticket Deposit Receipt (TDR) with proper reason for claiming refund, according to the IRCTC website.
How To Book Tatkal Train Tickets Through New IRCTC Facility
IRCTC has introduced new facilities for payment of e-tickets (including Tatkal tickets). One of these facilities is ‘Paylater’, Powered by Arthashastra Fintech Pvt Ltd, this option enables passengers to book tickets first and pay later.