IRCTC Bulk Booking Rules | IRCTC Group Booking Rules
Booking of Full Tariff Rate (FTR) Trains – Train Coach Booking FTR
Booking of FTR trains / coaches online through single window booking system by IRCTC
Booking of Full Tariff Rate (FTR) trains / coaches online through single window booking system by IRCTC
Bharat Sarkar (Government of India)
Rail Mantralaya (Ministry of Railways)
Railway Board
COMMERCIAL CIRCULAR NO. 08 OF 2018
No. TC-II/2033/2006/Policy/2
New Delhi, dated 05.02.2018
The Principal Chief Commercial Managers,
All Zonal Railways
Chairman & Managing Director,
Indian Railway Tourism and Catering Corporation (IRCTC)
New Delhi
Chairman & Managing Director,
CRIS, Chanakyapuri, New Delhi
Sub: Booking of FTR trains / coaches online through single window booking system by IRCTC.
REF: 1. Provisions of IRCA Coaching Tariff No. 26 Part 1 (Vol 1) on the above subject.
2. Commercial Circular no. 18 of 2007 dated 16.02.2007
3. Commercial Circular no. 01 of 2010 dated 05,01.2010
4. Commercial Circular no. 9 of 2011 dated 08.02.2011
5. Commercial Circular no. 72 of 2013 dated 18.12.2013
6. Commercial Circular no. 11 of 2016 dated 15.03.2016
7. Commercial Circular no. 63 of 2015 dated 05.11.2015.
8. Other instructions/clarifications issued on the above subject, from time to time.
In supersession of all the instructions issued on booking of special trains / coaches / saloons etc., on Full Tariff Rates (FTR), Ministry of Railways have decided that all the trains / coaches /Saloons on Full Tariff shall now be booked through single window booking system by Indian Railway Tourism and Catering Corporation (IRCTC), Henceforth any individual / party seeking to book trains / coaches on FTR shall approach IRCTC and IRCTC shall book trains/coaches online on behalf of the individual / party.
The detailed guidelines for online booking of special trains / coaches / saloons etc., by IRCTC through single window booking system shall be as under: –
A. General Guidelines:
(i) Any individual/party/government agency etc., wanting to book trains/coaches/salons etc., on Full Tariff Rates shall approach IRCTC (Regional / headquarter office, through mail, telephone etc.,) and IRCTC shall place indent online on behalf of the individual/party for booking of special trains / coaches on FTR.
(ii) IRCTC shall levy facilitation charge @ 5% of total fare for booking of special trains /coaches / saloons on Full Tariff Rates, on behalf of any individual / party / Government agency etc., for co-ordination work.
(iii) Priority shall be accorded for booking of special trains / coaches / saloons etc., on FTR over extra coaches to clear waitlisted passengers.
(iv) Registration of special trains / coaches/ saloons etc., shall be made minimum one month in advance and not beyond six months of the date of proposed journey. Registration in the period short of one month shall require specific permission of the CPTM of the Zonal Railways on a case to case basis.
B. Registration of Indent and security deposit:
(i) Registration for booking of special trains / coaches/ saloons etc. shall be made online by IRCTC on behalf of an individual /party / government agency etc. No manual booking / through UTS shall be permitted.
(ii) Security cum registration deposit shall be taken as revolving security deposit uniformly for both booking of coaches and rakes. Revolving Security and registration deposit may be in the form of e- wallet / RDS system (Zonal Railway wise), from which deduction may be made by Railways for the purpose of countermanding charges, other dues pending if any etc., Revolving Security Deposit may be minimum 5 lakh in e-wallet / RDS account of each zonal Railway). Booking shall not be permitted if the revolving deposit falls below Rs. 5 lakh. Maximum limit for collection of security deposit by IRCTC from Individual / party/ Govt. agency etc., shall be Rs. 50,000 per coach. However, election specials shall continue to be booked by IRCTC on behalf of Ministry of Home Affairs as per existing instruction no. TC-II/2003/2014/Policy-election (CAPF) dated 17.11.2017.
(iii) On confirmation of indent by operating branch, IRCTC shall deposit the fare payable at the Zonal Railway headquarter of the journey originating station.
(iv) All the co-ordination work like registration of the indent, obtaining confirmation from Railways, deposit of fares, submission of the folder / receipts after completion of journey, cancellation of indent etc., shall be arranged by IRCTC.
(v) IRCTC will provide a single window facility for FTR facility including notified contact number for redressal of complaints and grievances
C. Fare:
(i) Minimum distance for charging: The minimum distance for charging for- special trains / coaches / saloon etc., shall be 500 kms for outward and return journey separately. In case of hill stations, minimum distance for charge shall be the chargeable distance (inflated) of the whole section subject to minimum distance of 200 kms and minimum composition of special, trains. However, minimum distance for charge for special coaches attached to fully air conditioned higher category of trains like Rajdhani / Shatabdi /Tejas etc. shall be from end to end subject to restriction/condition imposed by Railways.
(ii) Minimum composition: Minimum composition shall be of 18 coaches. However, for the hill sections, the minimum number of coaches will be the maximum permissible load for the concerned section. The charging shall be done for not less than aforesaid composition. For example if the composition is 16 coaches, charges shall be realised for 18 coaches. However, if the composition is of 20 coaches, charges shall be realised for 20 coaches.
The number of coaches falling short of minimum composition shall be charged at fares for second class (unreserved) coach for Mail / Express train. For example, if only 16 coaches in the special train are run, fares for second class (unreserved) for Mail / Express shall be charged for 2 coaches falling short of composition. While calculating the fare only base fare for the coaches falling, short in the minimum composition shall be chargeable. Any other charges like service charge, empty haulage charge, detention charge, superfast charge etc. shall not be charged.
(iii) The fare shall be computed point to point in full for adult in Mail / Express / higher category of trains as the case may be (not local passenger fare) of the concerned class on round trip basis, which means that the fare shall be levied in the return direction upto the point from where the train originates. The fare shall be levied for the actual class, of the coach subject to minimum fares for second class (unreserved) of Mail/Express trains.
If extra passengers are carried, charges are levied on pro-rata basis per additional passengers declared before or at the time of commencement of journey-at the starting station. Extra passenger carried without payment at the starting station would be charged pro-rata with penalty charges as per existing rule.
(iv) Service charge: A service charge of 30% shall be levied only on the base fare.
(v) Other charges: Superfast Surcharge, GST, Mela Surcharge etc. as applicable shall be levied separately. However, reservation charge shall not be levied separately.
(vi) Empty haulage charge: Empty haulage charge shall be levied @ (basic fare reservation charge) for the carrying capacity of coaches for the actual empty haulage of rakes / coaches or minimum haulage haulage for 200 kms., whichever is higher.
Ideally efforts shall be made for providing coaches/trains on FTR from nearby locations within 200 kms limit. If the coaches / trains have to be hauled empty for FTR purpose for more than 200 kms, the same may be booked as special coach / train by IRCTC through their system. This shall be done in exceptional circumstances only. Advance planning of atleast 10 days and adequate .promotion should be done by IRCTC in such cases to ensure high occupancy and additional earning for Railways.
(vii) Dining Car / Kitchen / Pantry Car / Generator Car: Dining Cars / Kitchen Car / Pantry Car/ Generator Car will be charged @ Rs. 85 per car per kilometre uniformly for BG, MG and NG, In addition : Sleeper fare and service charge of 30% for marked carrying capacity of the car or actual number of passengers travelling in car whichever is- higher shall be collected.
(viii) Charges for SLR & Luggage Van: SLR coach will be charged at carrying capacity of the sleeper class coach with sleeper class fare. However, the utilisation of luggage portion to the extent of carrying capacity of SLR coach shall be allowed without levy of any extra charge.
(ix) Detention charge: Detention charge shall be levied for detention of special trains / coaches at the request of the party at the journey commencing station, intermediate or destination stations. Detention charge shall be levied @ Rs; 900/ per hour or part of an hour per coach uniformly for BG, MG and NG system subject to a minimum charge of Rs. 1500/- per coach, without giving’any free time.
(x) Engine detention charge: For keeping the engine in steam or detention to Diesel / Electric Locomotives of special trains engine detention charge shall be levied. These charges shall be applicable as notified vide Board’s letter no. F(C)/2003/27/1 dated 22/08/2017 from time to time.
(xi) As an exemption for the purpose of calculating point to point charges and detention charges for special trains, special free halts. For entraining / detraining- of passengers, collection of water etc., at enroute station / stations shall be provided. The number of special free halt permitted shall be maximum of 2(two) in each- block for 1000 kms journey or part thereof. Each halt shall be for a maximum duration of 20 minutes only. These free halts and the Railways operational halts if any shall’not be considered for calculating to point to point charges and detention charges.
Further to above, additional halts/stoppages upto 2 minutes, shall be permitted at the rate of Rs. 25,000/- per halt/stoppage. In case Halt/Stoppage of more than 2 minutes, “Point to point charge plus applicable detention charges or Rs. 25,000 tper halt, whichever is more shall be levied. The number of such paid halts/ stoppage a shall not be more than 3 (Three) in each block of 1000 kms journey or part thereof. Such halts shall be provided only on the request of IRCTC. Beyond the above halt/stoppage limit, no additional halt/stoppages shall be permitted.
D. Other guidelines:
(i) Concession: No concession shall be allowed for booking of Special trains/ coaches/ saloons etc. Charges shall be recovered in full even for children/ students/ senior citizens etc,, however, existing rules applicable for Kisan specials and industrial workers special will continue.
(ii) Payment: All . charges shall be paid in full, 48 hours in advance of the departure of the train, failing which it will be deemed that the running of special train has been countermanded, by IRCTC. Rs.50,000 per coach shall be deducted as countermanding charge from the RDS account/ e-wallet of IRCTC .
(iii) Countermanding charge: If the requisition of special train/coaches is cancelled two days in advance before the scheduled day for journey or earlier, 10% of Rs. 50,000/- per coach shall be charged against IRCTC. If the cancellation is done one day in advance (excluding the day of journey) and upto four hours before the scheduled departure of the train, cancellation charge shall be 25% of the chargeable fare and if journey is cancelled within four hours before the scheduled departure of the train or afterwards, the cancellation charge will be 50% of the chargeable fare. Applicable cancellation shall be deducted from the RDS account /e-wallet of IRCTC.
(iv) Refund: After completion of tour folder/receipt in original shall be deposited by IRCTC in the Zonal Railways office within 30 days of completion of journey. Zonal office in consultation with originating station shall verify the details and in case of excess demand the required amount shall be deducted from the RDS account / e-wallet of IRCTC or in case of refund the same shall be refunded in the RDS wallet / e-wallet after completion of the journey.
(v) Identity Cards: At the time of booking, only the number of passengers shall be mentioned in the online request. The names of members of the party shall be submitted to the station master of the journey origination station before 24 hours of the departure of the train. Identity tokens shall be provided duly stamped and countersigned by Station master of the journey commencing station. Last minute change due to illness or any other exigencies Upto 10% of the total passengers shall be allowed by Station master.
(vi) Operating orders shall be issued by operating department of Zonal Railways and all fare related issue shall be dealt with by Commercial department of Zonal Railways.
(vii) Payment of fare shall be made only online through digital modes viz RTGS / NEFT / net banking etc.
(viii) RDS / e-wallet account of IRCTC shall be maintained by PC CM in consultation with Associate Finance of Zonal Railway.
(ix) Accountal of earnings from booking of FTR trains / coaches should be maintained by Zonal Railway and monthly report of the same should be sent to Accounts / Star Directorate of Railway Board.
(x) Rules regarding Apportionment of earnings shall be maintained.
(xi) Railways shall have the right to modify the instructions in future.
(xii) CRIS will make necessary software as per above requirement for online booking of Special trains/ Coaches/ Saloons etc..
This issues with the concurrence of Finance Directorate of Ministry of Railways.
Necessary instructions may be issued to all concerned immediately.
sd/-
(Shelly Srivastava)
Director Passenger Marketing
Railway Board
Source : http://www.indianrailways.gov.in
IRCTC Bulk Booking Rules
IRCTC Group Booking Rules
Norms for Bulk Booking of Reservation Tickets relaxed
To facilitate ease of booking and travel for people travelling in groups such as for marriage, sports tournaments, school/college educational tours/ field trips, etc., Southern Railway has decided to relax the norms imposed on bulk booking.
Bulk Booking is permitted without any restriction in all the Classes of accommodation and in all trains including Mail/ Express, Rajdhani, Shatabdi, Duronto, Garib Rath trains and Special trains run during festive/ peak seasons.
The level of competency and ceiling/limit of Berths/Seats for permitting bulk reservation has been withdrawn. Chief Reservation Supervisor or Station Master is authorized to permit bulk booking of tickets at all the major locations.