As growing complaints emerge against the Indian Railways’ Tatkal ticket booking system, frustration among train passengers across India is increasing. Many users are calling it a “scam,” alleging that the system is rigged against common travelers while benefiting agents and third-party platforms.
What is Tatkal Booking?
Tatkal means “immediate” in Hindi. It is a premium service provided by Indian Railways that allows last-minute ticket bookings at higher fares. The system opens one day before the journey date at 10 AM for AC classes and 11 AM for sleeper class tickets. It is known for selling out within seconds.
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Recently, an X user named Niraj Gatla took to social media and called tatkal booking a full scam, sharing screenshots of his failed booking
Niraj took to the social media platform X and claimed that he tried to book Tatkal tickets, sleeper & AC both for some family emergency, but each time the money was deducted and the tickets were not provided.
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Sharing his grievance, by sharing screenshots of his booking as proof, he tagged @IRCTCofficial and @RailMinIndia. He requested IRCTC to resolve the issue. He wrote,
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@IRCTCofficial @RailMinIndia
Trying to book tatkal tickets for some family emergency purpose but this irctc tatkal booking is a full scam, since last 2 days tried booking sleeper & Ac both, both times amount has been deducted and tickets didn’t received, Please resolve this issue
@IRCTCofficial @RailMinIndia Trying to book tatkal tickets for some family emergency purpose but this irctc tatkal booking is a full scam, since last 2 days tried booking sleeper & Ac both, both times amount has been deducted and tickets didn’t received, Please resolve this issue pic.twitter.com/TnBdkDtnNk
— Niraj gatla (@GatlaNiraj) May 5, 2025
IRCTC took notice and responded to the post
IRCTC asked the passenger to share his contact details in DM, so that they can help him with the matter. They said,
Sir, kindly share mobile number preferably in Direct Message (DM)
Sir, kindly share mobile number preferably in Direct Message (DM) https://t.co/jQ5E3EMJXW
— IRCTC (@IRCTCofficial) May 5, 2025
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This is not the first time that passengers cried foul play on the Tatkal ticketing system. Previously, social media has been flooded with complaints from users who say that despite logging in exactly at the designated time, tickets disappear in seconds, often resulting in a “Waitlist” or “Booking Failed” status.
A user said,
“Tatkal booking is a full scam. You’re logged in on time, filled in passenger details beforehand, and still the tickets vanish. Feels like a rigged lottery,”
Few users allege that ticket agents or bots control the system, which prevents an average user from getting a ticket. Another user wrote,
“By the time the captcha loads, everything’s gone. How are common people supposed to travel?”
There are many daily railway passengers in India who depend on last-minute travel options. An unreliable Tatkal system risks and impacts their lives. IRCTC should try to restore public confidence in the service during peak travel season.
What are your thoughts about the Tatkal Ticketing System of the Indian Railways? Is it a scam? Let us know in the comments.
