Help me with the train tickets!

Annemarie30

I know there's a lot of information on this website, but I still haven't been able to book any train tickets.
Couple of questions:
- At the end of the booking the system is rejecting my creditcard. I don't know why. Is it possible that I am choosing the wrong pay option. Which one should I choose when I want to pay with a dutch Mastercard?

-I want to book ticket on WL. They ask me for an adress. Which one can I use? Is there a Delhi Trainstation adress, of should I take the hotel adress? And is it safe to use the hotel adress?

-Is it possible to let my hotel make the train reservations? I don't mind paying a little bit extra, but I'm not sure that I will definetely have the correct train tickets in het correct booking class?

I know a lot of people have the same problems, but can anybody please help me with mine. The railway website is driving me crazy, and takes up a lot of my time this way...

steven_ber

Try a different payment gateway for the credit card, I don't know what one, I've never had a problem, but this is the advice our members normally recommend. (I seem to remember payment gateway 1 being mentioned)

Book the tickets yourself via the I-ticket (e-tickets wont be issued for a waitlisted ticket).

Have the tickets sent to your hotel, it's perfectly safe.

You have to work through the IRCTC booking procedure as fast as you can to avoid the page timing out.

Good luck, and welcome to indiamike.com

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Sadhu

I have actually had this same problem for the last few days, using different cards, including an Amex that I used on their site multiple times. I have also used different gateways, always with the same result - no booking. I am beginning to get really frustrated, actually, as I have also had problems trying to book a flight from Del - KTM as well! Argh!

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jenk

Have you called up AMEX? A couple of the card issuers have explained to me that 80% of charges in india with US credit cards turn out to be fraudulent. Until you talk to them and/or build up a profile that includes such charges you may continue to have problems. I have had to call on two transport and one hotel charge so far and all have been resolved with apayment going through. Also on the AMEX gateway you have to make sure that details like your middle initial (no period) match with the card.

Good luck!

re an earlier poster on this thread, I have asked for a delivery on WL tickets - Im still not sure whether they deliver tickets in that status or whether they wait til the status is RAC. If the latter, I am in trouble since my delivery is to an address in Delhi and I will be traveling elsewhere for the weeks right before the train trip Ive booked.

Nick-H

Most of the payment gateways on the site are for use with local Indian banks.

Two are for credit cards and International cards. If one doesn't work for you, use the other.

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steven_ber

The waitlisted ticket will immediately be sent to the address you specified.

The waitlisted ticket is your ticket, even after you move up the waitlist and become confirmed, you use the same ticket, there is a PNR number (10 digits) on the ticket, this is like a bar code, it allows the ticket holder (you) and the ticket checker (on the train) to check where you are on the waitlist.

The following website allows you to check the status of your ticket to see if you've moved up the waitlist, however, your waitlist position is unlikely to move a lot to begin with, most movement is in the last few days before the train is due to depart.

http://www.indianrail.gov.in/pnr_stat.html

ba9rn

I used the ICICI bank gateway with my (UK) Visa card - I did get a couple of failures, but I booked 10 tickets without too much hassle.

Your problem could be a simple comms timeout - the transaction passes through many sites, including your bank. Try at a different time of day - I found that near the end of their day worked best, and as Steven says, try to do the whole thing as fast as possible!

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steven_ber

Just a quick explanation of the WL.....

There will be 2 separate waitlist numbers....

WL/11 - WL/09

This would mean that you joined the waitlist at position 11 (this number will never change), however, there had already been 2 cancellations, so your actual waitlist position is 9.

The next time you check, it could be WL/11 - WL/01, meaning you have moved up to number one on the waitlist.

Just to complicate things.....

The next time you check, it could be WL/11 - RAC/03

RAC = reserved against cancellation

You can board the train with an RAC ticket, you will be given a seat till a berth can be found for you, this is to help the railway cope with last minute cancellations and people who simply don't turn up for their train, most times a berth will be found for you, but it is still possible that you may only have a seat for the journey.

WL/11 - CNF means that you have a confirmed berth, you will be allocated the berth when the reservation chart is prepared (4-6 hours before departure), you find your berth (and carriage) number by checking the charts on the platform, the same chart will also be posted next to the carriage door, the ticket man on the train will also have a full copy of the chart.