Traveling in Indian Railways
Traveling by train has been the most convenient, comfortable, economic and much safer than other modes of transport in India. So most of us prefer trains for both long and short journeys, but most of the journeys are during vacations or peak seasons and it gets very hard, extremely hard to get confirmed tickets. There’s an option by Indian Railways called Tatkal which has some percent of seats reserved for last minute plans with some extra cost.
So a day before the train departs the tatkal window opens at 10 AM for Ac and 11 AM for Non-Ac coaches, both online and offline so it gets very hard to get a confirmed ticket as they get filled within 1 or 2 minutes. I have mixed experiences of booking tatkal tickets where many of them were successful but even some failed which made me travel once from Bangalore to Mt Abu on the longest running bus service of India. So here are few hacks based on my experience which would increase the probability of getting a confirmed tatkal ticket 
Tips to Book Tatkal Tickets Online:
Premium Tatkal
Unlike tatkal there is another hidden quota called Premium Tatkal which has dynamic pricing in some of the trains, which has the same timings as tatkal window but probability of getting confirmed ticket is higher as most of them aren’t aware of it.
Ladies Quota & Senior Citizens Quota
If all the passengers either are females or senior citizens then there is a separate quota for them called Ladies Quota and Senior Citizens Quota which has some special seats reserved. Better check them once too before trying for tatkal.
Use IRCTC Web App
Its recommended to use IRCTC web app over the mobile app for faster checkout and payment
IRCTC Wallet
IRCTC wallet has been a better option than other payment methods for faster checkout. Add money in advance and have credentials ready.
Update Master List on IRCTC
Update your Master List on IRCTC account on prior day so that you can directly add passengers saving lot of time
Login Time
Login 2–3 mins before session starts and enter source, destination, date and refresh availability as soon as time turns up. Very good internet is a must
Card Numbers
Copy your Credit/Debit card numbers(if using it) in clipboard to enter it directly in the payment page to save time, though some payment disables copy paste, be careful
Avoid Popular Trains
Research beforehand and prefer taking not very popular/weekly/newly introduced trains as usually people are less aware of it, so chances of getting a ticket is high as well.
Use Ad-Blockers
Use ad-blockers or Brave Browser as it reduces time to render the site by disabling all the ads.
Alternate Trains on the Same Route
Research about alternate options of the same train from various combinations of source and destination as there are different sets of seats allotted for particular sections on the same train journey.
Prefer 2Ac over 3Ac
Prefer 2Ac over 3Ac if you’re planning for Ac classes
Maximum tickets on Tatkal
Also, one passenger can make only two tatkal bookings at once and make 4 seat bookings. Make sure you plan accordingly
Have Multiple IRCTC Credentials
Have multiple IRCTC credentials and simultaneously try in different systems as you never know when you might be logged out of the session
Prefer HDFC/ICICI Payment Gateways
Make payment using either HDFC/ICICI payment gateways as I’ve seen higher success rates compared to other ones
Conclusion
In addition to these practical strategies for securing Tatkal tickets, it’s essential to emphasize the significance of patience and persistence when dealing with the fast-paced Tatkal booking process. Due to the high demand and limited availability of Tatkal tickets, it’s not uncommon to encounter difficulties and rejections during the booking attempt. Travelers should be prepared for the possibility of multiple attempts and remain persistent in their pursuit of confirmed tickets. Moreover, sharing experiences and insights with fellow travelers can also be invaluable.
By exchanging tips and stories of both successful and unsuccessful Tatkal bookings, the community of Indian rail passengers can collectively work towards enhancing the efficiency of the Tatkal booking system and ensuring a smoother travel experience for all. Let me know if you need any other such information and also mention your experiences of booking tatkal tickets in the comments below.
