Reservation Rules for Trains - Quotas & Policies

By Emily, Correspondent  |  Friday, 23 May 2025, 15:07 Hrs


Reservation Rules for Trains - Quotas & Policies

Indian Railways requires all passengers who want to travel by train to reserve their seats in advance, except for the General/Unreserved coaches. You can travel on any train or class with a seat/berth assigned to your name. Here’s what all you need to know about railway reservations in India.

Train Reservation at PRS Counters

In India, every major railway station has an attached reservation office. Satellite reservation offices may be located throughout many metropolises. You must complete a reservation form containing your travel and personal details to book tickets at PRS counters. The reservation counter staff will issue tickets based on availability. Reservation counters for Indian Railways are open Monday to Saturday from 8 am to 8 pm, and on Sundays, they're open from 8 am to 2 pm.

Railway Reservation Online

IRCTC is the official partner for Indian Railways in online ticketing. IRCTC Rail Connect and IRCTC Next Generation e-Ticketing System are the official apps that allow online train booking from the comfort of your home. .. The ticket is considered as an eTicket (or Electronic Reservation Slip, ERS). You must be a registered customer to use the IRCTC reservation services. These services are available throughout the day except between 11:45 pm and 12:20 am (IST) every night.

Tatkal and Premium Tatkal Tickets Reservation

Tatkal is a booking scheme for tickets that allows passengers to reserve tickets up to a day before their journey date by paying a fee. Premium Tatkal reservation (PT) is a variation of Tatkal that uses a dynamic pricing scheme where ticket prices can change based on demand. Tatkal tickets are available online and at PRS counters, while PT tickets are only available online. Tatkal reservations begin at 10:00 am for AC classes and 11:00 am for non-AC classes.

Advance Reservation Period

The ARP for General Quota Bookings is 60 days before the journey date, excluding the journey date. The ARP for Tatkal and Premium Tatkal reservations is made one day prior to the journey date, excluding the journey date. Some trains, like mountain trains and special trains, have shorter ARP. Foreigners and NRIs can book tickets within the Foreign Tourist Quota up to 365 days before the trip.

Reserved Class Travel

All travel classes, except for the Unreserved or General class, are eligible for reservation. Reservations are available for AC First Class, AC 2 Tier, or AC 3 Tier— also, AC Chair car, Executive Chair car, Sleeper, First Class, and Second Seating. A confirmed train booking for all classes except 1 AC will always include a coach and seat number. Seats will only be assigned for 1 AC reservation once the chart has been prepared.

Train Reservation Quotas

Indian Railways have different reservation quotas. Some are available to everyone, while others are restricted to specific groups. Anyone can book tickets for the General Quota, but only seniors/pregnant/45+ year old women/women can reserve tickets for the Lower Berth Quota.

Upgrade your reservation with Auto Upgrade.

Indian Railways has an auto-upgrade scheme allowing passengers on the Waitlist who have already paid their full fare to travel to a higher class without additional charges. Auto upgradation is only available at the time of booking and will only be done if there are seats in that higher class. The auto-upgrade is only for one class higher than your original travel class. If you have a sleeper-class ticket on the Waitlist, you'll be upgraded to 3AC. Passengers with waitlisted tickets in 3 AC or 2 AC will be upgraded to 2 AC or 1 AC class, respectively.

VIKALP Scheme for Railway Reservation

VIKALP is a reservation scheme that allows passengers on the Waitlist to choose seats confirmed in alternative trains on the same route on the same date. This service is free and subject to the availability of seats and trains. When booking your ticket, you can select VIKALP and choose the optional trains that suit you best. This scheme may change your boarding and destination points to a station nearby.

Reservation of Trains for Foreigners

The IRCTC website allows foreigners and NRIs to book tickets for 2 AC, 1 AC, and Executive travel classes. Foreigners and NRIs can only book under the Foreign Tourist quota. The reservation process for Indian citizens is identical. You can pay using credit and debit cards from around the world.

Reservation Rules for Railways

You can book up to 6 passengers per ticket for General Quota Reservations. Tatkal reservations are limited to 4 passengers.

  • IRCTC users are limited to 6 tickets for a single PNR per month. Users who have verified their Aadhaar accounts can book 12 tickets for each ID per month.
  • Reservations are allowed until the first chart, usually four hours before the train departs.
  • You can reserve seats for certain trains after the first chart is prepared.

Abbreviations used in railway reservations 

When making a railway reservation, you can use abbreviations to show the status of your booking. These include:

  • CNF (Confirmed) signifies that you have a confirmed booking, and an exclusive seat/berth is reserved.
     
  • RAC (Reservation Against Cancellation) means you are guaranteed a seat, but will share it with another passenger. When passengers cancel their tickets with confirmed reservations, RAC tickets are given priority. You can board the train if the status of your RAC tickets remains unchanged even after chart preparation. RAC passengers and those on the Waitlist can check their PNR status and see if they have been moved up the list.
     
  • GNWL(General waitlist) is a list of people who have not been assigned a seat or berth. Based on cancellations, you will receive a confirmed seat/berth. General Waitlists are the most common type of Waitlist. Typically, passengers who board from the station where the train originated or a nearby station will be included. GNWL is the most likely to be confirmed.
     
  • CKWL/TQWL: You have not been assigned a seat/berth but have booked tickets within the Tatkal quota. GNWL has priority during the chart preparation over CKWL. CKWL tickets are confirmed without the RAC phase.
     
  • RLWL: This Waitlist is usually for passengers boarding at intermediate stations. RLWL has a lower chance of being confirmed than GNWL.
     
  • PQWL: (Pooled Quota Waitlist). Several small railway stations along the route share this type of Waitlist. PQWL is only available at the beginning station of the entire route. PQWL tickets will be issued when you board and deboard at two intermediate stations. PQWL tickets have a lower chance of being confirmed.
  • Roadside Waitlist (RSWL): This type of Waitlist is typically issued to passengers boarding the train from their station of origin and a station along the route. RSWL tickets have a lower chance of being confirmed.
  • RLGN (Remote location general waiting list): These are the tickets that passengers have booked under the RLWL quota.
  • RQWL: This type of ticket is issued when a passenger travels from and to an intermediate stop, but their booking does not meet any other waitlist quotas, such as GNWL or PQWL.
  • Regret: Reservations are no longer possible because the upper limit has been reached.

FAQs on Railway Reservations

Am I entitled to a discount on my railway reservation?

A: Senior citizens, journalists, and passengers with disabilities who have a valid Indian Railways ID card are entitled to concessions.

How can I check the status of a reservation?

Your ticket or ERS will show the booking status, including seat and coach numbers.

Do online reservations have transaction fees?

A: Yes. You must pay a transaction fee for e-tickets booked online via IRCTC. The charge is based on your payment method. Net banking transaction fees are typically Rs 10 plus GST.

Does auto-upgrading apply to all passengers?

A: No, the facility is only available to passengers on the Waitlist who travel without any concessions, including senior citizens' concessions. It is also not available on trains with only sitting accommodations (chair cars, second seating, and executive chair cars).

If I choose VIKALP, will I have to pay the difference in fares between my original class and the alternative train/class?

A: No. If the alternative train's ticket price is less than the one you paid  for the original ticket, you will not get a refund.

Can I book a reservation at night?

A: Yes, IRCTC offers reservations throughout the night, except between 11:45 p.m. and 12:20 a.m. Reservations through counters stop at 8:00 p.m. on all days except Sundays. PRS counters shut at 2 p.m. on Sundays.

How do I guarantee that I will get the seat/berth of my choice?

Seats/berths will be allocated based on availability when you book. There is no guarantee that you will receive the seat/berth of your choice. You can select "book only if 2 lower berths/ book only one lower berth" when you make your reservation.

What will happen if I select options such as 'book only when two lower berths or one lower berth are allocated'/ 'book only when passengers are assigned seats in the same bus,' etc.?

If your booking criteria are not met, you will not receive a seat. However, you will receive a refund of the ticket price within a few days.

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