Indian Railways has rules for almost everything — how many tickets you can book, when you can book them, who needs a ticket, and what ID to carry. Most passengers learn these rules the hard way, usually when a booking gets rejected or the TTE flags an issue during the journey.

Here is a plain-English compilation of the IRCTC booking rules you should know before your next trip.

Advance Booking Window

You can book a general quota ticket up to 120 days in advance (excluding the day of journey). This means if you want to travel on September 1st, booking opens on May 5th.

The booking window opens at 8:00 AM on the first eligible day. For popular trains and routes, seats can fill up within the first few days, so booking on the opening day gives you the best chance.

Use ConfirmYatra to set mental reminders — search for your route and note the availability trend. If a train is already on WL 30 within a week of opening, you know it is a high-demand route and should book on day one next time.

Ticket Limits Per Account

• Without Aadhaar linking: 6 tickets per month per IRCTC account
• With Aadhaar linking: 12 tickets per month
• Maximum passengers per PNR: 6 passengers on one ticket
• Tatkal limit: 1 Tatkal booking per user per day (can be up to 4 passengers on that single booking)

These limits exist to prevent ticket scalping. If you have a large family travelling together, you may need two or three people to book from their respective accounts.

Tatkal Booking Rules

Tatkal is the emergency booking quota. Key rules:

Booking window: AC classes open at 10:00 AM, non-AC at 11:00 AM, one day before departure.

Maximum passengers: 4 per PNR in Tatkal.

No cancellation refund: Confirmed Tatkal tickets are non-refundable. If you cancel, you get zero back. Waitlisted Tatkal tickets that auto-cancel do get a refund.

ID mandatory: At least one passenger must carry the ID used during booking. The TTE will check.

No child concession: Children pay full fare in Tatkal regardless of age.

No senior citizen concession: Tatkal tickets do not allow senior citizen fare discounts.

Change of boarding not allowed: You cannot change your boarding station on a Tatkal ticket after booking.

ID Requirements During Travel

Every passenger must have a valid photo ID during the journey. The TTE checks ID against the passenger name on the ticket. Accepted IDs include:

• Aadhaar Card
• Passport
• PAN Card
• Voter ID
• Driving Licence
• Student ID (for students, issued by recognized institutions)
• Government employee ID

For a group booking (multiple passengers on one PNR), at least one passenger must carry the original ID. Others can carry photocopies, but the primary passenger's original ID is mandatory.

Child Ticket Rules

Children's ticketing rules confuse many parents:

• Children under 5 years: Travel free. No ticket needed. No separate berth — they share with the parent.
• Children 5 to 12 years: Half-fare ticket. Get a berth allocation. If a full berth is available, they get one. Otherwise, they share with the parent.
• Children above 12: Full fare ticket. Treated as an adult passenger.

Here is the catch: if you book a half-fare ticket for a child (5 to 12), they are entitled to a berth but may not always get a separate one, especially in peak season. A full-fare ticket guarantees a separate berth.

Change of Boarding Station

You can change your boarding station to an earlier station on the route, but not a later one. This must be done at least 24 hours before the train's scheduled departure from its origin station.

You cannot change boarding on Tatkal tickets or partially confirmed group tickets.

Split Journey Not Allowed on Single Ticket

A single ticket covers travel from your boarding station to your destination. You cannot use one ticket to board at station A, get off at station B, and reboard later at station C. Each segment requires a separate ticket.

If you want a split journey (maybe to explore a city in between), book separate tickets for each segment. ConfirmYatra's alternate route finder actually suggests these kinds of split-journey options with separate confirmed tickets.

E-Ticket vs I-Ticket

E-Ticket — Booked online, no physical ticket needed. Show the e-ticket on your phone (PDF or app) with a valid ID during travel. Can be cancelled online.

I-Ticket — Booked online but delivered as a physical ticket by courier. Treated like a counter ticket. Can only be cancelled at railway station counters.

Most passengers should stick with e-tickets. They are faster, more convenient, and easier to cancel if plans change.

Travelling Without Proper Ticket

If you board a train without a valid ticket or with an expired waitlisted ticket, the TTE can charge you the full fare plus a penalty. The penalty varies by class but can be substantial. On some trains, the TTE may allow you to buy a ticket onboard at a higher price, but this is not guaranteed.

Do not risk travelling on a waitlisted ticket that was auto-cancelled after chart preparation. Check your final status on ConfirmYatra before heading to the station.

Key Takeaways

Book early, link your Aadhaar for higher ticket limits, always carry a valid ID, understand the Tatkal rules before attempting a Tatkal booking, and never board with an invalid ticket. When in doubt about any rule, check the Indian Railways website or search your question on ConfirmYatra's blog — we cover the common scenarios that trip up passengers.