The Tatkal ticket booking service has been made easy by the West Central Railway (WCR), one of the 18 zones of the Indian Railways. From August 1, 2026, the WCR will implement a new token system, which will make window ticket booking for Tatkal tickets easier for the passengers, Indianexpress.com reported.
With the new change coming into effect, the token distribution timings will be aligned with the ticket booking timings. It has been brought into effect to manage crowds and help people avail the facilities without congestion in queues.
What do the guidelines say?
As per the guidelines of the new rule, tokens for AC classes will be distributed from 8:30 AM to 9:00 AM, while tokens for non-AC classes will be issued from 9:00 AM to 9:30 AM.
According to the indianexpress.com report, this will eliminate the double visit of the passenger to the reservation window, where, initially, they went once to get the tokens and once to get the tickets.
Saurabh Jain, Senior Divisional Commercial Manager (Sr DCM), Kota Division, told IE that each reservation counter will issue 10 tokens for AC classes and 15 tokens for non-AC classes.
“The number of tokens may be increased or decreased depending on local requirements and passenger rush. After all token holders have completed their bookings, any remaining Tatkal seats will be allotted to other passengers on a first-come, first-served basis,” he said.
Immediate family given priority in tatkal booking
Under the new system, the token would be distributed in two categories A and B. Those, who will book tickets for their immediate family, will be placed in Category A while others will be placed in category B. Only after Category A people are given tokens will Category B passengers get a chance.
For obtaining a category A token, one needs to carry valid photo IDs for themselves and their family member for whom they are booking the tickets. The tokens issued will be non-transferable, the report stated.