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From May 24 to June 2, only 4% of non-AC Tatkal tickets were booked in the first minute, while 17.5% were booked in the second, as per IRCTC data
Approximately 2.25 lakh passengers book tatkal tickets daily through IRCTC. (Representative/Shutterstock)
Travellers booking tatkal tickets online often face a frustrating issue—seats seem available at the start, but by the time the payment is processed, the ticket slips into the waiting list. Now, a recent report by IRCTC has revealed key insights into this rush-hour glitch, offering crucial tips and timing strategies to help passengers improve their chances of securing a confirmed tatkal ticket.
According to IRCTC, approximately 2.25 lakh passengers book tatkal tickets daily through the online platform. An analysis of online tatkal ticket booking patterns shows that out of an average of 108,000 tickets in the AC class, only 5,615 tickets (around five per cent) were booked in the first minute. In contrast, 22,827 tickets (over 20 per cent) were booked in the second minute.
Further analysis revealed that 67,159 tickets (62.5 per cent) were booked within the first 10 minutes of the window opening on the online platform. In the first hour, 92,861 tickets (86 per cent) were booked in the air-conditioned category. Between the first hour and the fourth hour, 4.7 per cent of tickets were booked, while 6.2 per cent were sold between the fourth and tenth hours. The remaining 3.01 per cent of tickets were booked after 10 hours.
In the non-AC category, from May 24 to June 2, an average of 118,567 tickets were booked daily online. Of these, 4,724 tickets (four per cent) were booked in the first minute, while 20,786 tickets (17.5 per cent) were sold in the second minute. A total of 66.4 per cent of tickets were sold within the first 10 minutes, with 84.02 per cent booked in the first hour. The remaining tickets were booked in the subsequent 10 hours.
These findings highlight that tatkal tickets are available through the online system, with approximately 12 per cent of total tickets booked even 8 to 10 hours after the window opens.
IRCTC CMD Sanjay Jain said the corporation has partnered with AMI for a bot service aimed at improving user experience. The results are showing—over 31,000 tickets were booked in a single minute recently, marking a record. He added that common passengers are now successfully securing Tatkal tickets.
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