Train Ticket Booking

Earlier, booking train tickets required you to physically visit ticket reservation centers and stand in long queues for hours. However, thanks to recent technological advancements, you can book train tickets online from your home. redRail by redBus is an online railway ticket booking platform that allows you to book tickets for your preferred trains in just a few minutes.

With the super-convenient and user-friendly interface of redRail, all you need to do is enter a few details such as your origin station, destination station, and the date of travel. The platform will then instantly display the list of available trains traveling through your route on your preferred travel date. Since redRail is an IRCTC-authorized ticket booking platform, you can book tickets with confidence without worrying about authenticity. So, whether planning a business trip or going on vacation, opt for redRail by redBus and make your train ticket booking process smooth and hassle-free.

You may use the IRCTC ticket booking site to purchase your train tickets. But the procedure can be difficult due to technical issues with the website. However, this is not something you need to worry about when choosing trains online from redRail. Take a look at the reasons why you should opt for redRail.

• Authorized Partner of IRCTC
  The reason for choosing redRail for IRCTC train ticket booking is that it is the authorized partner of IRCTC, so all information available is authentic. You can rely on redRail to find the best trains and book tickets without any problem.
• Cancellation with Refund
  If you opt for an Indian railway booking ticket through redRail, you can easily cancel the ticket if necessary. The cancellation policy for the ticket will be provided to you, and you will get a refund for most bookings. redRail also provides instant refunds for train ticket bookings done through UPI payment modes.
• Round-the-Clock Customer Assistance
  The redRail support staff is available at all times to help you with bookings. You can contact customer service if you face any issues with train ticket bookings online. The support staff will provide immediate assistance.
• Amazing Train Ticket Discounts and Offers
  With redRail, you get access to exciting discount offers and deals from time to time designed to help you save more on your train journey. With first time booking offers, redRail may levy zero service fees or additional payment gateway charges at the time of train bookings.

Along with train ticket booking, you may also check PNR easily and quickly on redRail's website or app. You can check your PNR status by following these steps:

Step 1 - From the redBus home page, navigate to the redRail homepage by clicking on the redRail icon.

Step 2 - Select the PNR Status option.

Step 3 - Enter your 10-digit PNR number and press the "Check Status" button.

Step 4 - The most recent PNR status will be provided to you.

Examine the available information to determine if your train ticket is still on the waitlist or confirmed and if there have been any adjustments to the train itinerary, reservation details, or anything else.

You can check the PNR Number in the days going up to the departure date. The PNR status will display all railway reservation-related information.

If you’ve made an online train ticket booking via the IRCTC website or the redRail app, you can easily cancel your reservation within a few minutes. However, you should keep in mind that you can cancel your e-ticket only up until the time of chart preparation. Once the chart is prepared, you cannot cancel your e-ticket. Instead, you will have to file a Ticket Deposit Receipt (TDR) online to receive a refund, if eligible. Charts are prepared on the previous night for trains starting up till noon. 

If you’re traveling with your family or as a group, you can cancel the train booking entirely or choose to only cancel the tickets of a certain set of passengers individually. Once you cancel a train ticket, you will receive a refund, only if eligible, after the deduction of cancellation charges. These charges will vary depending on factors such as the travel class and the time of initiation of the cancellation process. 

Canceling booked train tickets is simple and can be done within a few minutes. If you wish to cancel a train ticket that you booked via the redRail platform, here’s what you need to do.

Cancellation of Train Tickets via redRail

• Step 1: Log into the redRail smartphone application using your user credentials. 
• Step 2: Tap on the ‘My Bookings’ tab at the bottom of the app. 
• Step 3: Your booked tickets will be displayed in this section. 
• Step 4: Tap the booking that you wish to cancel and proceed to complete the cancellation process. 
• Step 5: If you’re traveling with a group, you have the option to cancel the tickets of all of the passengers or only a select few. 
• Step 6: Once you’ve canceled the ticket, it will show up under the ‘Canceled’ tab.

The amount that you paid for booking the train ticket will be refunded to the original payment method after deducting the respective cancellation charges. If you had paid for your ticket via UPI on redRail, you may even be eligible for instant refunds on ticket cancellations.

There are several types of train ticket bookings in India, including:

• General Quota: This is the most common type of booking and is open to all passengers. Train Tickets can be booked up to 120 days in advance.
• Tatkal Quota: This booking is for passengers who need to travel at short notice. Tickets can be booked one day in advance of the journey.
• Premium Tatkal Quota: This booking is similar to Tatkal Reservation but is more expensive and is intended for passengers who need to travel at very short notice.
• Ladies Quota: This booking is reserved for female passengers and can be booked up to 120 days in advance.
• Lower Berth Quota: This booking is for senior citizens, differently-abled passengers, and pregnant women.
• Foreign Tourist Quota: This booking is for foreign tourists visiting India.
• Duty Pass Quota: This booking is for government officials and employees of public sector undertakings travelling on official duty.
• Parliament House Quota: This booking is for Members of Parliament and other dignitaries.
• Defence Quota: This booking is for defence personnel and their dependents.

It is important to note that availability and eligibility for these different types of bookings may vary depending on the train and route.

Tatkal tickets are under the tatkal scheme of the Indian Railways, which is also available for online railway booking. Here, you can book the train tickets within a short period of one day before departure. However, these tickets’ prices are higher than the standard ones. The price hike can be 10-30% from the base price and will differ for each class.

Tatkal tickets are available just one day before departure, while standard tickets can be booked anytime. Tatkal online train booking can be tricky. Since only very few tickets are allotted for tatkal booking, it all depends on your luck. You will only be able to give a preferred berth, but there is no guarantee that you will get the same. Tatkal tickets can be booked for up to 4 passengers in a single ticket or PNR.

Confirmed tatkal tickets are non-cancellable. If you get a ticket on the waiting list, you can cancel it, but standard cancellation charges are applicable. There will not be a partial cancellation for the tatkal tickets.

IRCTC (Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation) is a subsidiary of the Indian Railways, responsible for managing online ticket booking, catering services, and tourism activities related to the Indian Railways. IRCTC was established in 1999 to improve the passenger experience and provide modern and efficient services to Indian railway users.

IRCTC is the official website of the Indian Railways for online ticket booking, which allows users to book train tickets, check seat availability, and access various other travel-related services. In addition, the website has several features, such as e-catering, tourist trains, and travel insurance, among others.

Besides ticket booking, IRCTC manages other services such as catering, tourism, and online shopping. It operates a chain of food plazas and restaurants across various railway stations in India, providing quality food and beverages to railway passengers. 

IRCTC has played a significant role in modernizing the Indian Railways and improving the passenger experience, by providing a range of services and facilities to millions of Indian railway users.

IRCTC has recently announced its partnership with redBus to facilitate train ticket booking via the redRail.

If you’re planning to travel by train, there are a few tips that you can follow to ensure that your journey is smooth, comfortable, and hassle-free. Here’s a quick overview of 5 of the most essential tips that you should follow.

• Always Plan Your Trip in Advance

Due to the sheer volume of passengers relying on Indian railways for traveling between cities and towns, you may find it difficult to get confirmed tickets. Therefore, it is always a good idea to plan your trip and book train tickets in advance unless it is an emergency. For an unplanned or impromptu trip, you can use the Tatkal train ticket booking scheme of IRCTC to get reserved tickets. However, remember that the Tatkal ticket booking scheme operates on a first-come, first-served basis, which means there’s no guarantee of getting confirmed tickets.

• Book Only From IRCTC-Authorized Platforms

Online platforms are the easiest and most convenient way to book train tickets. You can use the IRCTC ticket booking platform or an IRCTC-authorized partner like redRail by redBus to book your train tickets. Remember that tickets booked using unauthorized platforms or applications are illegal and may even be cancelled without notice.

• Pre-Order Food Online

It may only sometimes be practical or possible to bring your own food along with you during long-distance train travel. To address this limitation, IRCTC has introduced a unique platform called ‘Food on Track.’ Through this platform, you can pre-order food from various restaurants online. Once placed, your food order will be delivered right to your seat when the train makes a scheduled stop at the chosen station.

• Check For Linen Services

During the COVID-19 pandemic, IRCTC had suspended all bedroll and linen services for all trains temporarily. However, with the pandemic behind us, IRCTC has slowly resumed providing bedroll and linen services, starting with a few select trains. If you’re traveling via any AC classes, checking if the linen services are available beforehand is advisable. If the services haven’t been resumed for your particular train, you may have to carry your own blankets.

• Secure Your Luggage

It is always a good idea to secure your luggage when traveling via a train, especially if you’ve been allotted the middle or upper berths. Almost all trains in India are provided with links under the seats. You can chain your luggage to these links to ensure they remain safe and secure till the end of your journey.