Starting November 1, 2024, the Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) has introduced new rules impacting advance ticket reservations and login protocols. The advance ticket booking period has been reduced from 120 days to 60 days as part of efforts to manage long waiting lists and improve ticket availability. Passengers planning future travel will need to adjust their schedules as reservations on both the IRCTC platform and third-party apps, such as Ixigo, Paytm, and MakeMyTrip, will reflect this reduced booking period.
Reduced Booking Period: Managing Waitlists and Access IRCTC’s reduction of the booking window aims to alleviate long waiting lists, especially during peak travel periods like holidays. With the new policy, travelers can now book tickets only up to two months in advance, compared to the previous four months. This change also affects tickets purchased offline at railway counters, which are now subject to the 60-day booking window.
Tatkal ticket bookings remain unchanged and continue to open one day before the departure date, at 10 a.m. for AC classes and 11 a.m. for non-AC classes. This ensures that passengers can still secure last-minute tickets without adjusting to the new booking rule.
New Login Restrictions to Improve User Access IRCTC has also updated login protocols to improve the booking experience and curb unauthorized ticket resales. Passengers logging in before 8 a.m. will be automatically logged out at 8 a.m. and required to log back in for bookings. Furthermore, only one Passenger Name Record (PNR) can be generated per login session; users must log in again for subsequent bookings. This one-PNR-per-session rule aims to restrict black-market ticketing and enhance fair ticket distribution.
These updates follow a series of IRCTC platform improvements designed to make online bookings smoother for travelers. Indian Railways anticipates these new regulations will help genuine travelers secure reservations more easily, reducing overall booking congestion.
This policy adjustment reflects Indian Railways’ commitment to addressing passenger concerns and simplifying ticket access for both frequent and occasional travelers.