Tatkal is a special ticket booking system by Indian Railways for people who need to travel on short notice. It allows passengers to book train tickets just one day before the journey. But the catch? These tickets sell out in seconds, and getting one has become a big challenge for many.
More and more train passengers across India are losing patience with the Tatkal booking system. Many are calling it unfair and even going as far as to call it a “scam.” They feel that regular users hardly get tickets, while agents and third-party apps seem to have better chances.
Recently, a user named Niraj Gatla posted about his bad experience on social media platform X (formerly Twitter). He said that he tried booking Tatkal tickets—both sleeper and AC—for a family emergency, but failed both times. His money was deducted, but he didn’t get any ticket.
Sharing his screenshots as proof, Niraj tagged @IRCTCofficial and @RailMinIndia, asking them to fix the issue. He wrote:
“Trying to book Tatkal tickets for a family emergency, but this IRCTC Tatkal booking is a full scam. Tried for two days—both times money was deducted, but tickets didn’t come. Please resolve this.”
IRCTC Replies to Complaint
IRCTC did respond to his post and asked him to share his mobile number via Direct Message (DM), promising to look into the issue. They replied:
“Sir, kindly share mobile number preferably in Direct Message (DM).”
This Isn’t the First Complaint
Unfortunately, this is not a one-time issue. Many passengers have shared similar experiences online. People say that even when they log in right at the booking time, fill in all the details in advance, the tickets are already gone within seconds. Most end up with “Waitlist” or “Booking Failed” messages.
One frustrated user said:
“Tatkal booking is a full scam. You’re logged in on time, filled everything beforehand, and still the tickets vanish. Feels like a rigged lottery.”
Some even believe that bots or ticket agents are somehow controlling the system, making it nearly impossible for a regular person to book a ticket. Another user wrote:
“By the time the captcha loads, everything’s gone. How are common people supposed to travel?”