Check the Seat Availability in Trains to Book Your Tickets
While planning a journey, it is important that you check the seat availability in trains because without it travelling is impossible. If seats are available, you can proceed further in your plans. Now you have reservation counters at every town and city, which makes it easier for the customers to check the seat availability. Then there are the 24-hour helpline centers, wherein you can call at any time of the day and enquire any matter dealing with the reservation and railways.
With the introduction of computers and Internet, you can sit at home or your office and check the availability of seats, PNR status, train timings, train timetable and even book your tickets within seconds. The website of the Indian railways, IRCTC, and several other travel and tourism sites offer you this service. The availability of seats is also obtained by text messaging through the mobile phones. All you need is to send an SMS to the given number in the required format.
You can book seats in the First Class, Air-Conditioned coaches, Second Class and Chair Cars. Chair Cars are for short journeys while in long-distance trains that include overnight journey, a berth is also available on which you can sleep comfortably at night. The air-conditioned coaches are in great demand during summer. The Second Class charges are the lowest and are crowded very often.
In case all the seats have been booked, your ticket is booked under waiting list, wherein you may get a seat only if cancellations are made. For a limited number of tickets, there is the option of RAC, or Reservation against Cancellation, in which you are offered a side seat which has to be shared by two people. By checking the PNR status of your ticket, you can keep track of the current status of your ticket, which will keep on changing as and when cancellations are made. In case of emergencies, tickets can be booked under the Tatkal scheme 24 hours before the day of departure of the train by paying the fare for the whole journey of the train plus additional charges.
Those who have no reservation can travel in unreserved or general compartments, but seat availability in them is not guaranteed. Here, seats are occupied on the first-come-first-served basis. Often the compartment is fully packed without space to even move, and thus the journey becomes very tiring and uncomfortable.
During holidays, vacations and other peak seasons of the year, the seat availability in trains poses to be a major problem as there is a huge rush of passengers. However, the railway allows you to book train tickets at least 120 days in advance and make sure that your travel is safe and comfortable.
Last minute travel? You can now check seat availability in trains and do your Tatkal bookings online for travel by Indian Railways. Quick online payment. Access latest information on seat availability in trains online.
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