Guides

Short answers first, detail after. Written to be useful, kept up to date.

Tatkal booking rules: timings, ID and tips

Tatkal opens one day before the journey date, excluding the journey date, at 10:00 a.m. for AC classes and 11:00 a.m. for non-AC classes. From July 2025, online Tatkal booking on IRCTC requires an Aadhaar-authenticated account, with OTP verification added later that month. Save passenger details in your IRCTC master list beforehand to book quickly.

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Train waitlist codes explained: GNWL, RLWL, PQWL, TQWL and RAC

GNWL is the general waitlist for passengers boarding at or near the train's origin and usually has the best chance of confirmation. RLWL is the remote location waitlist for intermediate stations. PQWL is a pooled quota waitlist for short-distance passengers and confirms less often. TQWL is the Tatkal waitlist. RAC lets you board and share a berth.

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Berth codes and train classes: LB, MB, UB, SL, SU and 1A to 2S

LB, MB and UB are lower, middle and upper berths. SL and SU are side lower and side upper. Classes run from 1A (AC First Class) and 2A (AC two-tier) to 3A (AC three-tier), 3E (AC three-tier economy), SL (sleeper, non-AC), CC (AC chair car) and 2S (second sitting). Senior citizens and women aged 45 and above can be allotted lower berths where available.

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