Here's why your ticket booking request for IRCTC special trains may get declined

Amid the nationwide lockdown, the Railways have resumed the operations of passenger train services from May 12 after a gap of nearly two months. These trains have been running as special trains with limited operations. Railways restarted the operations where 15 pairs of special trains have been running from New Delhi and connected 15 other cities in the country.

Special trains stations and bookings

The fares of these trains are equivalent to the Rajdhani Express trains and these trains will only have AC coaches and limited stoppages.  These trains will be run as special trains from New Delhi Station connecting Dibrugarh, Agartala, Howrah, Patna, Bilaspur, Ranchi, Bhubaneswar, Secunderabad, Bengaluru, Chennai, Thiruvananthapuram, Madgaon, Mumbai Central, Ahmedabad and Jammu Tawi.

Only online e-ticketing will be done through IRCTC website or app. Passengers who want to book the tickets for the special trains can also do it through Yatri Ticket Suvidha Kendra (YTSK) licensees. You can also book the tickets at the post office too and common services centres as well and also through computerised PRS counters. 

Why ticket booking request may get decline?

While booking a ticket for the special trains, your request for the booking may get declined as according to IRCTC, in the PRS booking system, there are maximum waiting list limits. After all the confirmed tickets are exhausted, the waitlisted tickets will then be issued to the passengers.

Also, if the maximum waiting list limit is reached in the booking system by the time your payment success response is received from the bank, your ticket will be declined and the amount deducted will be refunded back to you, without any deductions, in your bank account in 3-5 working days.

Other Key things

Also, there is no tatkal or premium booking facilities permitted in the special trains. The first chart for the ticket will be prepared 4 hours prior to the schedule of the train's departure and second will be permitted 2 hours before the departure. RAC and Waitlist will be generated as per the existing rules. And if you have a waitlisted ticket, you will not be allowed to board the train. 

For the safety of the passengers, it is mandatory for the passengers to wear a face mask or cover their face and follow social distancing norms. Also, only asymptomatic passengers will be allowed to enter /board the train.