IRCTC Vikalp Scheme will provide confirmed ticket to go home on Diwali or Chhath, know with special features how to use it?

Tech News Desk – Traveling by train during big festivals like Diwali and Chhath is no less than a challenge and this problem increases when you do not have a confirmed ticket. If you are also eager to go home this Diwali or Chhath and want to book a confirmed ticket, then this news may be useful for you. To provide relief to the passengers and help them in getting confirmed tickets, Indian Railways (IRCTC) has come up with a special scheme named Vikalp Yojana. This scheme provides relief to passengers troubled by waiting list tickets. This scheme helps in getting confirmed seats in alternative trains running on the same route. Keep in mind that this scheme does not guarantee getting a confirmed ticket.

What is Vikalp Yojana?
Vikalp Scheme is an initiative of IRCTC, designed to provide the option of alternative trains to passengers who are unable to get a confirmed seat in their original train. The scheme will provide flexibility so that waitlisted passengers can be transferred to alternative trains with available seats on the same route. However, it is important to note that opting for the option plan does not guarantee a confirmed seat. This only increases the chances of getting a confirmed seat. as well as

How does IRCTC's Vikalp scheme work?
When a passenger opts for the option scheme, his waitlisted ticket is transferred to another train in which seats are available and which is running within 12 hours of the originally scheduled departure. This facility/scheme proves to be especially useful during festivals like Diwali and Chhath when people expect to get tickets confirmed at the last moment, which is quite rare. If a seat becomes available in an alternate train, the passenger's ticket is automatically confirmed in it. However, if the ticket is confirmed and later canceled, standard cancellation charges will be charged. While IRCTC's Vikalp scheme can help increase the chances of getting a confirmed ticket, passengers may have to shift their boarding or destination station to nearby alternative stations depending on the options available. This flexibility will help reduce the hassles associated with waitlisted bookings during travel during major festivals.

How to use option plan?
Here we are telling you the step-by-step process to select the option scheme while booking IRCTC train tickets:
1. Visit IRCTC website or app and log in.
2. Select your travel date, source, destination and category.
3. Enter passenger details and make payment to confirm your booking.
4. When prompted, select the Option Plan option.
5. Here the list of alternative trains will be shown. Choose an alternative train if available.
6. Once the chart is generated, check your PNR status to see if your booking in the alternate train is confirmed.

Special features of Vikalp Yojana:
1. It is available only for Mail and Express trains.
2.This scheme is applicable only for waitlisted passengers.
3. There is no additional fee to join this scheme.
4. Passengers opting for the option are automatically considered for alternate trains.
5. After being transferred to the alternate train, passengers cannot board the original train.

Benefits of choosing Option Plan this Diwali:
During the festival season, passengers often face the problem of waiting list tickets. Vikalp Scheme provides relief by increasing the chances of getting a confirmed seat:
1. Higher chances of getting a confirmed ticket: Waitlisted passengers have higher chances of getting a seat in alternative trains without any extra charges.
2. No extra charges (mostly): Passengers only have to pay for their original ticket, with no extra charges for the alternate train.
3. Flexibility: The scheme enables easy transfer to alternate trains depending on seat availability, thereby reducing the hassle of rebooking during the peak travel season.