Indian Railways has started taking ticket reservations amid the Coronavirus pandemic in India for select routes. Initially, only 15 special trains will be operational, which will be eventually expanded. Users can only book their train tickets either via the IRCTC website or the IRCTC Android or iOS app. Therefore, here's how you can book tickets via the IRCTC website for convenience and answers to some questions you might have.
How to Book train tickets via IRCTC website?
You need to follow simple steps to start booking train tickets of the places mentioned in the list. There will be 15 running trains from New Delhi connecting Dibrugarh, Agartala, Howrah, Patna, Bilaspur, Ranchi, Bhubaneswar, Secunderabad, Bengaluru, Chennai, Thiruvananthapuram, Madgaon, Mumbai Central, Ahmedabad, and Jammu Tawi.
- Head to IRCTC website
- New users register and existing users log in with your details
- Select destination Departure and Arrival venues (from the aforementioned list)
- Select the date of departure and the type of train class
- Tap on the Find Train option
- Once the special train appears, select it and check availability and fares
- Tap on the Book Ticket option, enter your details and make the payment
For the IRCTC Rail Connect app, you need to log in and follow almost the same instructions to book a ticket. You can download the app via the Google Play Store or the App Store.
Can the ticket be cancelled?
Once the tickets are booked, you can also cancel them 24 hours prior to the departure of the train. There will be cancellation charges of 50% of the train fare. If the ticket is cancelled by the Indian railways till Ma 17, a full refund will be provided to the users.
Is there any concession or discount?
No, there won't be any concession or discount provided on the special train. The charges will be the same as the normal Rajdhani train. This also means that the trains will be fully air-conditioned with their high-end fares as usual.
In addition to this, users will be required to reach the railway station 90 minutes prior to the departure that too if the tickets are confirmed and are require to have the Aarogya Setu app. They will have to bring their own food and stuff on board and won't get food on the train except for pre-packed food.