Indian Railway Rules: Do you think that it becomes impossible to get a confirmed ticket after the train chart is prepared? If yes, then it is not so. IRCTC’s ‘Charts Vacant’ feature gives information about vacant seats even at the last moment. With its help, you can book confirmed tickets even after chart preparation. Many times one can easily get a seat in it even through Tatkal ticket. Know how this feature works and how to take advantage of it.
Add informalnewz.com as a Preferred Source
If you think that you cannot get a ticket after the train chart is prepared, then it is a misunderstanding. Through the ‘Charts Vacant’ facility of Indian Railways, tickets can be booked on vacant seats even after the release of the chart. This facility is especially beneficial for those people who have to travel suddenly. Many times, this makes it easier to get a confirmed seat.
Current booking means that after the chart of the train is prepared, the seats which remain vacant are opened for booking for the passengers. By going to ‘Charts Vacant’ option in IRCTC website or app, you can see which seat is vacant in which train and which coach. If a seat is available, it can also be booked immediately. Due to this, there is no need to go to the station to get information.
According to railway rules, the first chart of the train is usually prepared about 4 hours before its departure. After this, if seats remain vacant, current booking can be done on them. Passengers can book available seats up to 5 minutes before the departure of the train. However, the time of chart preparation may change under certain circumstances. Therefore, if you have to travel at the last moment, then definitely check ‘Charts Vacant’ once.
In current booking, the ticket price is the same as the normal fare. No additional charges like Tatkal or Premium Tatkal are levied. Railways can also give 10 to 30 percent discount in some special trains. But keep in mind, on cancellation of tickets taken in this manner, money is usually not refunded. Therefore, book only when your journey is confirmed.
Tickets received through current booking are directly confirmed. There is no waiting list or RAC in these. The seat becomes confirmed as soon as the booking is done. There are more vacant seats on normal working days than on weekends, holidays or festivals. According to Railways, there is a possibility of 80 to 90 percent seats being available on such days. Therefore, if you plan and book, you can easily get a confirmed ticket.
Open IRCTC website or app and go to Train section and select ‘Charts Vacant’ option. After this enter the train number and date of journey. It will be immediately visible on the screen which seat is vacant in which coach. If seats are available, you can book tickets immediately from there. For this, there is no need to go to the station and inquire and one can easily get a confirmed ticket even at the last moment.
For Tatkal tickets, booking has to be done at a fixed time in the morning and there is no guarantee of getting a seat. At the same time, in current booking, if a seat is left vacant after the chart is made, then it can be booked immediately. Not only this, if a passenger completes his journey at an intermediate station and a seat becomes available, then that can also be reflected in the system. In such a situation, passengers starting their journey from the middle station can also get a chance to get a confirmed seat.
Earlier, after the chart was prepared, passengers had to depend on TTE for vacant seats. Now it is not so. With IRCTC’s ‘Charts Vacant’ feature, you can see which seat is vacant on your mobile and can also book it online instantly. This saves time and the entire process has become easier and transparent. This facility proves to be very beneficial especially for those traveling suddenly or buying tickets at the last moment.