Railway Reservation – Travel Made Easy
The railway reservation system is now computerized all over India except in some remote villages. The fares for tickets are low and senior citizens (those who are above the age of 60) get a concession on the actual fare. The discounted tickets are also available for some passengers who are disabled, students and sports personalities. There is a special compartment in every train earmarked for the ladies. For tourists or foreigners visiting India, they have the option of applying for Indrail pass, which gives unlimited travel all over India for a specified duration.
Reservation of berth for long distance travel can be done prior to 120 days from the date of journey. When a person enters the Indian Railways website, there is a user guide and it has much information linked to it such as train availability, PNR enquiry, train fare enquiry, and many more.
To book a ticket, a person has to enter the date of journey, place of boarding and the destination. This will give a list of trains running on that particular date to the destination. Once the preferred train is selected, the person has to mention his name, age and gender and the ticket will be allotted. The ticket will also bear the coach and the berth number.
The types of tickets issued are: “Confirmed” tickets, which is when the seat is available, waiting list (WL), when a person has to wait until there are cancellations made for the WL ticket to be confirmed and Reservation against cancellation (RAC), which means that the ticket holder can board the train and occupy only a seat and not berth unless and otherwise allotted by the ticket examiner during the journey. The “Tatkal” scheme of ticketing allows a person to book a journey ticket 24 hours prior to the journey.
Once the ticket is booked, the person has the choice of either opting for i-ticket or e-ticket. If you book i-ticket, it will be delivered to the mailing address whereas in the case of e-ticket, you have to take a printout of the ticket. For all e-ticket bookings, the passenger has to carry his ID and photo proof, which should display his or her name, age and photograph. These tickets can be cancelled online.
Apart from train ticket bookings, the site also gives information about the particular train stoppage at various stations, PNR enquiry, names of the trains and their number. A passenger also has the option of booking a sleeper coach, 2-tier or 3-tier A/C coach.
The Indian railway reservation system has won the national award for e-governance in the year 2010-2011 for their innovative and brilliant management of the site. One can acquire tickets from railway counter, travel agents or through SMS services. No doubt, the railway has taken efficient steps to give the passengers an unforgettable journey.
Make sure you have the train number before you start making your railway reservation online as every train in India is designated with a unique number to identify it. Book your Himalayan or north- eastern holidays with the Irctc and save money on the travel tickets and hotels to enjoy your holiday.
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