To book a train ticket online, log in to the IRCTC website or app, search your route and date, pick a train and class, add passenger details and pay. The step people get wrong is not the clicking. It is the date: general booking opens 60 days before travel at 8:00 AM IST, and that is when seats are easiest to get.
This guide walks through the booking flow in order, then covers the timing, quota and payment choices that decide whether you end up with a confirmed seat. Rules and screens change, so details are as of 2026 and the IRCTC app is the final word.
What do you need before you book a train ticket online?
You need a registered IRCTC account, a working mobile number and email, and passenger details ready. For Tatkal you also need an Aadhaar-authenticated account.
Do these before booking day, not on it:
- Create or recover your IRCTC login and confirm you can sign in.
- Save frequent co-travellers in your passenger list so you are not typing names under time pressure.
- Keep a payment method ready, such as UPI, a card or net banking.
- Check that your mobile number can receive OTPs.
If you plan to use Tatkal, the account must be Aadhaar-authenticated, and Aadhaar OTP is mandatory for online Tatkal booking (effective July 2025). Our guide to linking Aadhaar to IRCTC for Tatkal covers the steps and common fixes.
On which date does booking open for your travel day?
Booking opens 60 days before your journey date, at 8:00 AM IST. This is the advance reservation period (ARP), and it applies to the general quota on most trains.
So if you want to travel on 28 December, count back 60 days. Booking for that date opens at 8:00 AM IST on that day. Before then, IRCTC will show a message that the date is outside the booking window. If you see it, read what "train outside booking window" means.
You do not have to count by hand. The when can I book tool takes your travel date and tells you the day booking opens. For the full rule, see our guide to the advance reservation period.
What are the steps to book a ticket on IRCTC?
The booking flow has six steps: log in, search, choose a train and class, enter passenger details, review, and pay. The order is the same on the website and the app.
- Log in. Use your IRCTC username and password. Log in a few minutes early on a busy booking day.
- Search. Enter the from and to stations, the journey date and the quota. General is the default for most travellers.
- Pick a train and class. The results list each train with the classes it runs and their availability. Tap a class to see the status for your date.
- Check availability, then book. A status such as "Available" means a berth or seat is free. Waiting list or RAC statuses mean the ticket is not yet confirmed.
- Enter passenger details. Add names, ages, gender and berth preference exactly as on the ID the passenger will carry. Use your saved passenger list if you have one.
- Review and pay. Check the train, date, boarding station, class and names, then pay. A ticket is booked only after the payment succeeds and you get a confirmation.
Take a screenshot of the confirmation or note the PNR. You will need the PNR to check the ticket later.
How do you choose the right class and quota?
Pick the class by budget and comfort, and the quota by who is travelling and when. For most people the general quota is the right one.
IRCTC runs several quotas on a train, including general, Tatkal, Premium Tatkal and others for specific groups. Each has its own rules and, for Tatkal, its own opening time. Our IRCTC quota types guide explains what each one is for.
Two points are worth remembering:
- Tatkal is a separate quota that opens one day before travel. It is not available in First AC (1A) or Executive Class (EC).
- The AC Tatkal classes are 2A, 3A, CC and 3E. Non-AC Tatkal covers SL and 2S.
If you can book in the advance window, you usually do not need Tatkal at all. That also saves the Tatkal charge, which is added on top of the base fare.
What time should you book to get a confirmed seat?
Be logged in before 8:00 AM IST on the day your travel date opens. Seats on popular trains can go quickly once the window opens, so the first few minutes matter.
There is no guarantee of a confirmed seat at any time. What you can control is being ready at the opening. We do not publish confirmation odds, because they depend on the train, route and date.
If you missed the advance window, Tatkal is the next route. AC Tatkal opens at 10:00 AM IST and non-AC Tatkal at 11:00 AM IST, one day before the journey. For the first 30 minutes of each window (10:00 to 10:30 AM for AC, 11:00 to 11:30 AM for non-AC), authorised agents are barred, which gives individual users a head-start.
Want to know the time left to the next window? The Tatkal countdown shows it live. If you tend to forget the 8:00 AM date, set a free email reminder from Train Genie for your 60-day date and Tatkal windows, and you will get an email before it opens.
How do you pay, and what happens after payment?
You pay through IRCTC's payment page using UPI, a card, net banking or another option shown there. If the payment succeeds, the ticket is booked and you receive a confirmation by SMS and email.
If money is deducted but you get no ticket, do not pay again straight away. Check your booking history in the app first. In many cases a failed booking is refunded automatically to the original payment method, though the time varies with your bank.
Keep the confirmation. Carry a valid photo ID on the journey, because the travelling passenger's details are checked against it.
What if the train shows a waiting list or no seats?
A waiting list ticket is not a seat. It is a place in a queue, and it only becomes a berth if enough confirmed passengers cancel before the chart is prepared.
You have three sensible options:
- Try a different train or class on the same route.
- Try a nearby date, if your plans are flexible.
- Book the waitlisted ticket as a backup and keep looking.
Our guide to what decides waiting list confirmation explains how the queue moves. Chart timing matters too: as of 2026, the first chart is prepared about 8 hours before departure, and by about 9:00 PM the previous night for trains leaving between 5:00 AM and 2:00 PM. See chart preparation time for details.
A waitlisted ticket that is still waitlisted at chart time is cancelled and refunded by IRCTC, so you do not have to act.
What mistakes cause bookings to fail?
Most failed bookings come from small things you could have fixed beforehand: a stale login, wrong passenger details, or booking on the wrong date. They are not about speed alone.
- Wrong date. Counting 60 days wrongly and trying a date that has not opened yet.
- Late login. Signing in at the moment the window opens, then waiting for an OTP.
- Name or age mismatch. Passenger details that do not match the ID.
- No payment ready. Searching for a card or UPI app while the seats go.
- Account not ready for Tatkal. An Aadhaar-unverified account cannot book online Tatkal.
If you want a checklist for the Tatkal rush specifically, read why Tatkal tickets fail.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: How early can I book a train ticket online?
A: Booking opens 60 days before the journey date at 8:00 AM IST for the general quota on most trains. This is the advance reservation period. You can use the booking window calculator to find your date.
Q: Do I need an Aadhaar-authenticated account to book a ticket?
A: For regular booking, an IRCTC account is enough. For online Tatkal booking, the account must be Aadhaar-authenticated and Aadhaar OTP is mandatory (effective July 2025).
Q: Can I book a ticket for someone else?
A: Yes. You enter the travelling passenger's details when you book. The names and ages should match the ID that passenger will carry.
Q: What time does Tatkal booking open?
A: AC Tatkal opens at 10:00 AM IST and non-AC Tatkal at 11:00 AM IST, one day before the journey. Tatkal is not available in 1A or EC.
Q: What should I do if payment fails but money is deducted?
A: Check your booking history before paying again. Failed bookings are generally refunded to the original payment method, and the time taken depends on your bank. If nothing shows up, contact IRCTC support.
Most missed seats come from missing the opening, not from the booking steps. Get a free email reminder from Train Genie for your T-60 date and Tatkal windows on the booking reminder page, and be logged in when booking opens.