Regardless of your purpose, you will need to plan how to get around the country. One of the most popular options is using trains. The railway network covers the entire country. In this article, we will try to explain how to buy a train ticket in India.

Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC)

Such matters are managed by IRCTC (Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation). This is an Indian state-owned company that provides services in the field of railway transportation. On their website, you can book and purchase tickets for any train, order meals during the journey, and even organize transportation for a tourist group.

To make purchases on the company's website, you will need to create an account. One of the steps involves verification via mobile phone. You can use a Russian contact number, but there is a high chance that the SMS will not be delivered. The SMSBOWER service offers to purchase an Indian number for IRCTC at a minimal price. This can be done in just a few clicks, which is an additional advantage.

How to Register on IRCTC

To begin, we need to create our own profile. Go to the company's website, where the "REGISTER" section can be found in the top menu (second item from the left).

You will need to fill out all the fields, which are mandatory. The most questions usually arise regarding the mobile phone field. You can use a Russian contact number, but as mentioned earlier, there is a high chance of not receiving the SMS with the code. If you encounter problems at this stage, purchase a virtual number through the SMSBOWER service. To do this, first select IRCTC in the top field, then choose the country from the list.

Using an Indian number has a significant advantage. It does not require paying an additional fee, which is 100 rupees (approximately 114 rubles as of autumn 2024).

After entering your number and email, the system will send verification codes to both. Problems rarely occur with the email verification. However, even with a virtual Indian number for IRCTC, messages do not always arrive. If this happens, there won’t be issues since any purchase on the site can be canceled with a refund. You won't be able to enter a new number into the completed form after the SMS is sent. Therefore, you will need to repeat the entire process.

Only after completing all the steps can you consider your account fully created on the website.

How to Buy Tickets on IRCTC

Usually, the ticket purchase service becomes available immediately. However, it may take a few hours for all options to become functional.

IMPORTANT: All CAPTCHA on the website must be entered in uppercase letters.

Now, let’s proceed to the actual search. To buy a train ticket in India, fill out the standard fields. These include departure and arrival points, as well as the date, class, and other options.

The IRCTC website provides detailed information about each route. Additional filters are also available. Click "Search" to get the results.

The system will display all available trains that match the specified conditions. However, keep in mind that their presence on the list does not necessarily mean there are available seats. According to the company's rules, you cannot purchase more than six tickets from one account. This is important to consider if you are traveling in a group.

After payment, the ticket should arrive at the email address specified in your profile. Additionally, all information is duplicated in your personal account. Printing the ticket is not mandatory; you can simply show the barcode or write down the ticket number to present to the train conductor. The conductor will already have a list of passengers.

Not all tickets will have the status "available." Due to high demand, you may encounter the following options:

1. WL — Waiting List. The train ticket is unavailable because all seats have been sold. However, you can purchase a spot on the waiting list.
2. RAC — Reservation Against Cancellation. This allows you to purchase half a seat, which you will share with another passenger.

Both options are questionable as they do not guarantee clarity or certainty.

What You Need to Know About Using Railways in India

Do you think you can just hop on a train and travel from point A to point B? There are many nuances to consider. Here are the most important aspects:

1. You can buy train tickets in India not only online through IRCTC. There are ticket counters at train stations (these are the only official sales points!). International Tourist Bureau counters for foreigners are available only in major cities. In other cases, simply show the staff the names of your departure and arrival points.
2. At International Tourist Bureau counters, foreigners can purchase tickets under the tourist quota. These are seats in higher classes. Keep in mind that they are not always available, but the existence of such tickets increases your chances.
3. Tickets are released 120 days before departure. Due to the high demand for railways, purchase them as early as possible.
4. Theft is common on trains. The lower the class, the higher the risk of encountering such problems.

Be cautious of scammers. Read more about the various methods of fraud on Indian railways.