Getting to Agra - agh!

jazzy in india · May 19th, 2009, 13:11

Dear all,

I'm trying to plan a day trip to Agra for a Saturday on cleartrip.com. On the way from Delhi to Agra I was planning on taking the Bhopal Shatabdi, and on the way back there is a NDLS Shatabdi (train no. 2001) that leaves Agra at 8:30 and arrives in Delhi at 10:30. However, the last two times I have tried to book that train, I get the following message:

"Aaargh!! Train no longer available. Sorry, but one of the Train you selected is no longer available. It’s annoying, but it happens."

What does this mean? How can a train no longer be available? When I click on it to book it, it takes me all the way through the whole credit card process. At the very end instead of confirming it gives me this message. All the other trains leave too early in the day to give us enough time to see everything in Agra.

So, as I see it I have two options. Either take the morning train to Agra and then drive from Agra back to Delhi. Is this advisable, and does anyone have any idea how much this would cost? Another option is just doing a one-day tour package with travel to and from Delhi included.

I would appreciate any suggestions and tips.

Thanks!

steven_ber · May 19th, 2009, 13:18

Both trains are running, not sure why you're getting that message, but no need to change your plans or book a tour.

If you're in India, just go to the train station and book these trains.

philip007 · May 19th, 2009, 14:17

Hi jazy,

I too have had the same problem with cleartrip. However I have logged out then back again several hours later and it has been OK.

Hey Stephen - as I too intend to make to same journey - how much notice would you need to give if you turned up at a station to book. I was under the impression that you need to book well in advance.

Cheers.

Philip

steven_ber · May 19th, 2009, 15:21

It isn't possible or wise to answer that question as some trains are more busy than others, trains are busier on some days of the week or times of the year, so any reply could never be accurate.

Have a look at a particular train, have a look at the availability for the next 3 months, you'll see what I mean.

The Foreign Tourist Quota and some logical thinking comes in really useful here, and the crucial thing to remember is that the FTQ can't be booked online.

So, who will use the FTQ?

When will they book those tickets?

And for what journeys?

Who? and When?

In my experience, it's mostly guidebook readers, and not people who've learnt a trick or two on travel forums, so they only have the guidebook advice to go by, and because of the way guidebooks pay, the train info always leaves a lot to be desired, this results in a lot of people arriving to buy a FTQ ticket the day before they want to take the train, or at best, a few days before.

However, this is partially offset by NRI's (Non resident Indians), who can also use the FTQ, but they have a lot more sense that tourists, and they tend to book early.

What journeys?

There are obvious trains that have seats/berths reserved for the FTQ, the Delhi-Agra Shatabdi, and the Taj Express, the overnight Mumbai-Goa train and so on, but Indian Railways also has FTQ on all Rajdhanis (that I've checked) and other super long distance trains, and personally, I think tourists are less likely to use these trains, not many tourists will travel from Delhi to Mumbai or Mumbai to Chennai, though NRI's might.

And the thing is, you don't need to book the whole distance to use the FTQ.

So basically, outside of the mega busy periods, 7-10 days should normally be enough time to book a FTQ ticket, even 4 days in advance gives a reasonable chance, and sometimes less.

Regarding the Shatabdi.....

Some Shatabdi tickets are held back for 'day of departure' sale, and go on sale at the departing station 2 hours before the scheduled departure time.

Current Reservation option

If you get a chance to see the availability for a train AFTER the reservation chart has been prepared (a few hours before departure, or by 18:00 the day before if the train is a morning departure), you can sometimes find availability on trains that previously had a waitlist (unsold quota tickets and last minute cancellations), if you see availability, go to the 'Current Reservation' window 2 hours before the train is due to depart and buy tickets for the train.

May 19th, 2009, 13:11	#1
jazzy in india Member Join Date: May 2009 Location: Amritsar Posts: 2	Getting to Agra - agh! Dear all, I'm trying to plan a day trip to Agra for a Saturday on cleartrip.com. On the way from Delhi to Agra I was planning on taking the Bhopal Shatabdi, and on the way back there is a NDLS Shatabdi (train no. 2001) that leaves Agra at 8:30 and arrives in Delhi at 10:30. However, the last two times I have tried to book that train, I get the following message: "Aaargh!! Train no longer available. Sorry, but one of the Train you selected is no longer available. It’s annoying, but it happens." What does this mean? How can a train no longer be available? When I click on it to book it, it takes me all the way through the whole credit card process. At the very end instead of confirming it gives me this message. All the other trains leave too early in the day to give us enough time to see everything in Agra. So, as I see it I have two options. Either take the morning train to Agra and then drive from Agra back to Delhi. Is this advisable, and does anyone have any idea how much this would cost? Another option is just doing a one-day tour package with travel to and from Delhi included. I would appreciate any suggestions and tips. Thanks!

May 19th, 2009, 13:18	#2
steven_ber Member Join Date: Sep 2001 Location: South of England. Posts: 11,567	Both trains are running, not sure why you're getting that message, but no need to change your plans or book a tour. If you're in India, just go to the train station and book these trains. __________________ . How to get helpful replies to your transport/Itinerary questions. Train information. RAC & Waitlists explained.

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May 19th, 2009, 14:17	#3
philip007 Senior Member Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: Gold Coast Australia Posts: 150	Hi jazy, I too have had the same problem with cleartrip. However I have logged out then back again several hours later and it has been OK. Hey Stephen - as I too intend to make to same journey - how much notice would you need to give if you turned up at a station to book. I was under the impression that you need to book well in advance. Cheers. Philip

May 19th, 2009, 15:21	#4
steven_ber Member Join Date: Sep 2001 Location: South of England. Posts: 11,567	It isn't possible or wise to answer that question as some trains are more busy than others, trains are busier on some days of the week or times of the year, so any reply could never be accurate. Have a look at a particular train, have a look at the availability for the next 3 months, you'll see what I mean. The Foreign Tourist Quota and some logical thinking comes in really useful here, and the crucial thing to remember is that the FTQ can't be booked online. So, who will use the FTQ? When will they book those tickets? And for what journeys? Who? and When? In my experience, it's mostly guidebook readers, and not people who've learnt a trick or two on travel forums, so they only have the guidebook advice to go by, and because of the way guidebooks pay, the train info always leaves a lot to be desired, this results in a lot of people arriving to buy a FTQ ticket the day before they want to take the train, or at best, a few days before. However, this is partially offset by NRI's (Non resident Indians), who can also use the FTQ, but they have a lot more sense that tourists, and they tend to book early. What journeys? There are obvious trains that have seats/berths reserved for the FTQ, the Delhi-Agra Shatabdi, and the Taj Express, the overnight Mumbai-Goa train and so on, but Indian Railways also has FTQ on all Rajdhanis (that I've checked) and other super long distance trains, and personally, I think tourists are less likely to use these trains, not many tourists will travel from Delhi to Mumbai or Mumbai to Chennai, though NRI's might. And the thing is, you don't need to book the whole distance to use the FTQ. So basically, outside of the mega busy periods, 7-10 days should normally be enough time to book a FTQ ticket, even 4 days in advance gives a reasonable chance, and sometimes less. Regarding the Shatabdi..... Some Shatabdi tickets are held back for 'day of departure' sale, and go on sale at the departing station 2 hours before the scheduled departure time. Current Reservation option If you get a chance to see the availability for a train AFTER the reservation chart has been prepared (a few hours before departure, or by 18:00 the day before if the train is a morning departure), you can sometimes find availability on trains that previously had a waitlist (unsold quota tickets and last minute cancellations), if you see availability, go to the 'Current Reservation' window 2 hours before the train is due to depart and buy tickets for the train.