Nuts & Bolts of online registration for railway ticket booking.

cyberhippie · Mar 14th, 2007, 00:43

Quote:

Just need a clarification on the address item for registration. It looks like this is needed even if one plans on buying an e-ticket. As I have not yet made hotel reservations, not sure what to put here. Any advice would be most welcome. Thanks

Use your own address!

Nick-H · Mar 14th, 2007, 00:59

...but with an Indian post (PIN) code only!

Here... borrow mine: 600 018 (600018? I forget if they use the space). But please let me have it back when you've finished with it

Aishah · Apr 28th, 2007, 17:19

I've read all the threads - it just seems a matter of luck if you get your ticket. I registered yesterday and have spent more than two hours trying to get my ticket - only one booking and it is so FRUSTRATING!!! The problem is at the payment end - my Visa card is perfectly alright - will go easily in any of the Gateway ATM's - I am doing everything correctly but all the time I am getting payment failure. (It is an Australian Visa) I have written to IRCTC am awaiting reply - won't hold my breath - and in the meantime I just think I will go to the local agent and pay his 50 rupees fee.

Baba Neil · Apr 28th, 2007, 19:14

I found that I was unable to use a Visa card. I happenned to also have an American Express card and that worked fine. Good luck, Baba Neil

Aishah · Apr 29th, 2007, 08:32

Not much consolation, Baba Neil, but thanks just the same! I only have one Visa card and an Indian Bank of Baroda debit card - BOB is not on the payment gateway! Grrrr... I tried again this morning, couldn't get to payment because 'communication failure'. Off to the Agent later..!!

ba9rn · Apr 29th, 2007, 14:06

Probably too late for you now, but I got my Visa card to work (eventually!). It's a UK card though. The key with the IRCTC seems to be extreme patience. The runes all have to be in alignment before the various bits of the site can talk to each other and produce an e-ticket. But when it falls into place, the sense of achievement is second to none.

I just tried to replicate your comms failure but the site had a message:

Quote:

Due to Maintenance activities, booking and cancellation would not be available from 05:00 AM to 01:00 PM on 29-april-2007

Fair enough! So I tried again at 1pm, and the message is now:

Quote:

Due to Maintenance activities, booking and cancellation would not be available from 05:00 AM to 03:00 PM on 29-april-2007

Only IRCTC can move the goal posts with such alacrity.

If only online shopping at Tesco could be such a rewarding experience.

Aishah · Apr 29th, 2007, 14:20

Kind of you ba9rn - yes, I have been trying again this morning and the hour of finishing maintenance is extended repeatedly!! I am still trying because the agent can't do the booking until tomorrow - the station office is closed on Sunday! The 'runes' is this some Stonehenge ancient rite???? Or computer jargon i don't know about? Should I start reading the Tarot cards?

ba9rn · Apr 29th, 2007, 14:29

Quote:

Originally Posted by Aishah

The 'runes' is this some Stonehenge ancient rite???? Or computer jargon i don't know about? Should I start reading the Tarot cards?

Runes? Here's some info!... http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Runes

Tarot cards should help though.

Perhaps (he says, with tongue firmly wedged in cheek) this maintenance they are doing, with its extensible end-time, is fixing all of the communication failures and other frustrations. By the end of the day, the site will be the smoothest operation on the planet.

hmmm.

jaat · Apr 29th, 2007, 15:27

there is no point,I have tried on numerous occasions and failed each time on some pretext(usually payment) or the other,by the way is their any other convenient way to book a confirmed rly ticket other than the defunct time consuming online booking,travel-agents and the archaic way of going to a rly station and standing in a queue which imho is quite taxing.

cyberhippie · Apr 29th, 2007, 15:54

If you enable it in your irctc profile you can I think book via SMS. I think the money is then taken from your bank account or something.

It's not something I've checked into thoroughly and as the irctc site is down well.............

Here's a guide to the whole thing!

SMS reservations

ba9rn · Apr 29th, 2007, 16:04

Quote:

Originally Posted by cyberhippie

...the irctc site is down

3pm came and went.

Aishah · Apr 29th, 2007, 16:05

Your link on runes was far more interesting than the railways site, ba9rn!! Well, I will keep on trying, and if, as your link produced 'the runes can bring the dead to life' we might, after the maintenance is finished have a miraculous resurrection and all will be well! Won't hold my breath however...

ba9rn · Apr 29th, 2007, 16:10

Surprise, surprise! IRCTC now has this:

Quote:

Due to Maintenance activities, booking and cancellation would not be available from 05:00 AM to 04:00 PM on 29-april-2007

Maybe they're hoping nobody will notice them continually changing the time.

Any bets on the actual time that the new, all singing and dancing IRCTC site will become active?

Aishah · Apr 29th, 2007, 16:15

My guess is tomorrow morning!

ba9rn · Apr 29th, 2007, 16:55

Quote:

Originally Posted by Aishah

My guess is tomorrow morning!

You could well be right... Their latest estimate (

) is 5pm.

I am considering contacting them to give them a small lesson in customer service... It would be far better to set our expectations for a long wait and return early, than give us an unreaslistic early time and keep changing their mind. Maybe they just don't bother to send the support staff on customer care courses.

Edit: No sense in another post; but the latest changed end-time is 5:30pm. If this were not such a serious customer satisfaction issue, it would be comical.

Mar 14th, 2007, 00:59	#47
Nick-H Loud-mouthed, Noisy Bird Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: Chennai, India Posts: 25,811	...but with an Indian post (PIN) code only! Here... borrow mine: 600 018 (600018? I forget if they use the space). But please let me have it back when you've finished with it __________________ . Just one member of the IndiaMike Mod Team

Apr 28th, 2007, 19:14	#49
Baba Neil Member Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Toronto Canada Posts: 6	Using Visa I found that I was unable to use a Visa card. I happenned to also have an American Express card and that worked fine. Good luck, Baba Neil

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Apr 28th, 2007, 17:19	#48
Aishah She-who-must-be-obeyed! Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Jaisalmer Posts: 4,440	I've read all the threads - it just seems a matter of luck if you get your ticket. I registered yesterday and have spent more than two hours trying to get my ticket - only one booking and it is so FRUSTRATING!!! The problem is at the payment end - my Visa card is perfectly alright - will go easily in any of the Gateway ATM's - I am doing everything correctly but all the time I am getting payment failure. (It is an Australian Visa) I have written to IRCTC am awaiting reply - won't hold my breath - and in the meantime I just think I will go to the local agent and pay his 50 rupees fee.

Apr 29th, 2007, 08:32	#50
Aishah She-who-must-be-obeyed! Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Jaisalmer Posts: 4,440	Not much consolation, Baba Neil, but thanks just the same! I only have one Visa card and an Indian Bank of Baroda debit card - BOB is not on the payment gateway! Grrrr... I tried again this morning, couldn't get to payment because 'communication failure'. Off to the Agent later..!!

Apr 29th, 2007, 14:20	#52
Aishah She-who-must-be-obeyed! Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Jaisalmer Posts: 4,440	Kind of you ba9rn - yes, I have been trying again this morning and the hour of finishing maintenance is extended repeatedly!! I am still trying because the agent can't do the booking until tomorrow - the station office is closed on Sunday! The 'runes' is this some Stonehenge ancient rite???? Or computer jargon i don't know about? Should I start reading the Tarot cards?

Apr 29th, 2007, 15:27	#54
jaat Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: gurgaon Posts: 118	there is no point,I have tried on numerous occasions and failed each time on some pretext(usually payment) or the other,by the way is their any other convenient way to book a confirmed rly ticket other than the defunct time consuming online booking,travel-agents and the archaic way of going to a rly station and standing in a queue which imho is quite taxing.

Apr 29th, 2007, 15:54	#55
cyberhippie Account Closed by User's Request Join Date: Jul 2002 Location: the Netherlands Posts: 6,013	If you enable it in your irctc profile you can I think book via SMS. I think the money is then taken from your bank account or something. It's not something I've checked into thoroughly and as the irctc site is down well............. Here's a guide to the whole thing! SMS reservations

Apr 29th, 2007, 16:05	#57
Aishah She-who-must-be-obeyed! Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Jaisalmer Posts: 4,440	Your link on runes was far more interesting than the railways site, ba9rn!! Well, I will keep on trying, and if, as your link produced 'the runes can bring the dead to life' we might, after the maintenance is finished have a miraculous resurrection and all will be well! Won't hold my breath however...

Apr 29th, 2007, 16:15	#59
Aishah She-who-must-be-obeyed! Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Jaisalmer Posts: 4,440	My guess is tomorrow morning!

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