Train Ticket Booking Tips: If you do not get a Tatkal ticket, know how to book a confirmed seat at the last minute

Indian Railways is called the lifeline of the country. Millions of people travel by train every day. Railways have made several rules regarding ticket booking for the convenience of passengers. Most people book their tickets months in advance of travel. But many times it happens that we do not plan ahead and suddenly have to travel in an emergency.
Getting a ticket during the festive season or wedding season becomes like chewing iron gram. When it comes to traveling suddenly, most people think that it is impossible to get a reservation now. Even when the time of Tatkal tickets has passed and the first chart is done, the passengers get frustrated and cancel their plans. But now you need not despair. According to a special rule of railways you can get confirmed ticket even at the last minute.

You can book the ticket even after the chart is made

As per railway rules, you can get a confirmed ticket in the train even after the first reservation chart is made. Often passengers cancel their plans at the last minute and cancel their tickets. You can book tickets for these vacant seats at the last minute under ‘Current Availability’.

How to book tickets at the last minute?

If you have to travel in an emergency, you have to constantly monitor the IRCTC website or app. After the first train chart is generated, you can check whether the seat is vacant by going to the ‘Current Availability’ option in the app. If you find a seat vacant, you can instantly book it online.
The great thing is that you can avail this facility only 15 minutes before the departure of the train. You do not have to pay any extra charge for this. On the contrary, many times the vacant seats are available under ‘current availability’ with a small percentage discount from the normal fare. You can avail this facility by going directly to the ticket counter of the railway station.

You can also get seat with the help of TTE

If you couldn’t book tickets online at the last minute and have only waiting tickets, you need not lose heart. You can approach the Train Ticket Examiner (TTE) directly by starting your train journey.
It often happens that even after booking a ticket, a passenger misses a train due to not being able to reach the station on time or due to some other reason. In such a situation that seat remains vacant. If you inform TTE about your situation and waiting ticket, TTE can officially allot you that vacant seat as per railway rules.
Thus, if you are aware of these smart rules of railways, your journey will not be stopped even during an emergency and you can easily get a confirmed seat and enjoy a comfortable journey.