Booking a train via the IRCTC website

Hi, I think the issue is still the same—you need an Indian phone number. That said, I’ve never actually made it to the payment step...

Thanks Pagaljavab, Actually, last year after several attempts I managed to make the payment, but unfortunately I didn’t note down what I did. This afternoon I spent 2 hours on the site. Charlie

Hello, I think the problem is still the same—you need an Indian phone number. That said, I’ve never managed to get as far as the payment step...

You’re right, to complete the booking you have to verify with an OTP sent to an Indian phone number. But that’s not all... It’s another measure they’ve been enforcing for a year or two. You can no longer pay with an INTERNATIONAL debit or credit card on the official sites. You *must* use an INDIAN card from an Indian bank. Basically, you need an Indian bank account...

Hey everyone! Welcome to India! Yep, since post-COVID, the government changed everything and prioritized Indians everywhere. Traveling like before is over for tourists. I’ve been coming to India regularly for 2 months at a time since 2004, and the train system has become really complicated. They give tourists the most expensive seats—A3, A2, A1. That was my experience in 2022 and 2023. Tomorrow, I’ll either go to an agency or a tourist service. Catch you later, and how about a drink to commiserate? 🤩

Hey everyone! Welcome to India! Yep, since post-COVID, the government changed everything and prioritized Indians everywhere. Traveling like before is over for tourists. I’ve been coming to India regularly for 2 months at a time since 2004, and the train system has become really complicated. They give tourists the most expensive seats—A3, A2, A1. That was my case in 2022 and 2023. Tomorrow I’m going to either an agency or the tourist service. See you soon, and let’s grab a drink to vent? 🍻

Yeah, exactly... For example, for years I had the "senior" discount, which was pretty good price-wise, but that’s over now. You have to be Indian to get it. I find that really discriminatory because a Western retiree isn’t necessarily richer than an Indian retiree. That said, they’ve never *forced* me to take a ticket in the most expensive categories...

Okay, I get it! Are you still in Delhi right now?

Hi Charlie, Did you manage to sort out the ticket issue? I arrived yesterday, and yeah, the app’s pretty useless for the reasons we talked about.

We’ll have to use the tourist reservation service instead. And it’s only available at specific times. I’ll be there at 9:00 AM tomorrow to get in line. It’s been total chaos since online bookings started. I think you need to be Indian and have an Indian bank account, probably. Now, how do you leave New Delhi by train when you have to book one or two days before departure?! Are you still in Delhi?

Now how to leave from New Delhi by train, knowing you have to book one or two days before the departure date!!

Not necessarily, it's possible to find a train at the last minute, especially by asking for a tatkal departure, which means seats reserved for last-minute departures. It all depends on the train and the destination though.

Oh right, I get it! Still, a Takal train ticket It depends on available seats. And you have to go to the station. Anyway... Have a great trip!😓🌊

Yes, that’s right, you have to go to the station. Anyway, you’ve got to go somewhere to get a ticket.

Hi Karim,

I won’t be in Delhi but in Mumbai. No, I didn’t manage to buy the ticket, so I thought, "Oh well, I’ll just take the overnight bus—it’s less comfortable, but the times are more convenient." I don’t entirely agree with your explanation because last year, I managed to book and pay for a train from Kochi to Chennai from Belgium. I also had to try several times, but I eventually succeeded.

Best, Charlie

Hi! And have a great bus trip! For my part, I might go through simpler agencies for payments. No more hassle with the site and Visa cards, etc. 😂🤗🥳

Undeniably simpler at every level and only for a small commission.

Hi everyone, since July 1st, 2025, it’s no longer possible to book "Tatkal" tickets using the "IRCTC" Android app without having an Indian ID registered on your profile (Aadhaar authenticated). This restricts the purchase of these tickets to only those with an Indian ID. However, you can still buy online tickets sold under the "General Quota." You can pay with an international bank card (a French one in my case) without any issues. Personally, I choose the "Razorpay" bank in the payment options, and it works. My IRCTC account was verified with a French phone number without any problems...

The key takeaway here—and I don’t need to tell you this—is that in India, you need patience for everything, and in the end, it works! 😊 Just avoid logging in at 8:30 PM French time because it’ll be midnight in India, and their site is down for maintenance at that hour...

Happy to help if you have any questions!

Hi everyone, since July 1st, 2025, it’s no longer possible to book "Tatkal" tickets using the Android "IRCTC" app without registering an Indian ID on your profile (Aadhaar authenticated). This restricts the purchase of these tickets to only those with an Indian ID. You can still buy online tickets sold under the "General Quota." Payment with an international bank card (French in my case) works fine. For my part, I choose the "Razorpay" bank in the payment options, and it works. My IRCTC account was validated with a French phone number without any issues...

The key takeaway here—and I don’t need to tell you this—is that in India, you need patience for everything, and eventually, it works 😊. Also, avoid logging in at 8:30 PM French time because it’ll be midnight in India, and their site is under maintenance then...

I’m here if you have any questions

Hi and thanks for the info...

Thanks for the info. But apparently, nothing stops you from buying Tatkal tickets directly at the station.

Thanks for the info. But apparently, nothing prevents buying Tatkal tickets directly at the station.

Yes, that's true, but to buy them at a station counter, you’ll need to show Indian ID papers. The only option for foreigners will be to go through a travel agency. And travel agencies are only allowed to access the Tatkal quota 30 minutes after ticket sales open. So, most tickets will already be sold by then. This new system was put in place to prevent fraud that was hurting individuals. Some travel agencies had specialized "bot-like" software that automatically bought up all the Tatkal tickets as soon as sales opened...

Thanks for the info. But apparently, nothing stops you from buying Tatkal tickets directly at the station.

https://m.economictimes.com/wealth/save/new-tatkal-ticket-booking-rules-aadhaar-otp-must-from-july-2025-agents-cant-book-tatkal-in-first-half-hour-in-ac-non-ac-coaches-and-more/articleshow/121779525.cms?utm_source=chatgpt.com

This new system was put in place to prevent fraud that was hurting individuals. In fact, there were travel agencies with specialized "bot-like" software that would automatically buy up all the Tatkal tickets as soon as sales opened...

You’re a bit naive[;)] What you’re saying might be the official version you’ve been told. The reality is that India is sinking deeper and deeper into hardline nationalism with ALL that entails: "India for Indians," and if they could amend the Constitution, it would become "India for Hindus."

Here’s an explanation that seems more in line with Modi’s political agenda in reality.

Here’s an explanation that seems more in line with the political reality of Modi’s agenda.

And yet I got a Private Message lecturing me about my knowledge of India, with the general vibe of "tweet-tweet, little birds, everyone’s happy and kind in India!" Dying of laughter! 🤣 🤣 🤣

You should always be wary of those profiles with 3 messages that create an account just to join a single discussion. This one looks like ChatGPT responses or an account made to share official information.

. I remain at your disposal

I have two questions: - What are you available to help us with? - Why are you available to help us?

You should always be wary of those profiles with 3 messages that create an account just to join a single discussion. This one looks like ChatGPT responses or an account created to share official information.

And you haven’t even read the private message where they lecture me (about elections, among other things) on India and on how kind and reliable Indians are... as if I were a first-time tourist... When it seems they only know about India from... Varkala... and its shady reputation...

. I remain at your disposal

I have two questions: - What are you remaining at our disposal for? - Why are you remaining at our disposal?

I also asked 4 questions, but "to avoid playing ping-pong," my contact didn’t answer them...

Following the model of Putin's "Russian trolls" spreading propaganda online, will we now see Modi's "Indian trolls"?