Indian Railways has been steadily working towards modernising its systems to create a smoother and more passenger-friendly experience. One of the consistent pain points for commuters has been the rush and technical glitches faced while booking Tatkal tickets—especially during peak hours.
Previously, Tatkal bookings for all classes opened simultaneously, which often overwhelmed the IRCTC website, leading to frustration among users. To ease the load on the servers, Indian Railways had earlier revised the booking timings, separating the slots for Sleeper and AC classes.
However, a recent buzz on social media suggested that these timings were being changed once again, reportedly from 15th April. The viral posts claimed a fresh revision in the Tatkal and Premium Tatkal booking schedule.
IRCTC clarifies: No change in Tatkal ticket booking timings
Setting the record straight, the Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) issued an official clarification on Friday. In a post on X (formerly Twitter), IRCTC said:
“Some posts are circulating on Social Media channels mentioning about different timings for Tatkal and Premium Tatkal tickets. No such change in timings is currently proposed in the Tatkal or Premium Tatkal booking timings for AC or Non-AC classes.”
Some posts are circulating on Social Media channels mentioning about different timings for Tatkal and Premium Tatkal tickets.
No such change in timings is currently proposed in the Tatkal or Premium Tatkal booking timings for AC or Non-AC classes.
The permitted booking… pic.twitter.com/bTsgpMVFEZ
— IRCTC (@IRCTCofficial) April 11, 2025
The platform further confirmed: “The permitted booking timings for agents also remain unchanged.”
To clear up any lingering confusion, IRCTC also restated the current booking schedule: “Tatkal E-ticket can be booked for selected trains one day in advance excluding date of journey from the train originating station.”
“It can be booked on the opening day from 10:00 hrs for AC class (2A/3A/CC/EC/3E) and at 11:00 hrs for Non-AC (SL/FC/2S),” the platform added.
For example, if a train is scheduled to depart on 2nd August, bookings for AC class Tatkal tickets would begin at 10:00 AM on August 1, while Non-AC bookings would open an hour later, at 11:00 am. “Tatkal Booking facility provides Confirmed / Waitlisted tickets against Tatkal quota, in any class except 1 AC, for journey between source/ remote stations having Tatkal Quota to destination,” IRCTC added.
Additionally, the platform reminded passengers of a few other important guidelines: “Tatkal charges per passenger are in addition to normal ticket,” and “a maximum of four passengers can be booked under one PNR on Tatkal e-ticket.”
