IRCTC now tells you chances of waitlisted tickets getting confirmed
Booking train tickets on waiting is often a gamble: the IRCTC website sees 13L reservations everyday against 10.5L berths. But now, thanks to a new feature, you can get to know at the time of booking itself your chances of getting a confirmed seat. The new revamped portal brings many other user-friendly changes that will make the whole process smoother.
How does the new 'wait-list prediction' tool work?
The 'wait-list prediction' tool, based on 13 years of Railways' data, went live this week. For the first time, the Railways is mining its "own data of passenger operations and booking patterns," a senior official said. At the time of booking, the tool will show you a percentage indicating chances of a waitlisted ticket getting confirmed. Disclaimer: it is just a prediction, and might not be accurate.
Waitlisted passengers can opt for the Vikalp scheme
For waitlisted tickets, Railways has the Vikalp scheme, under which passengers can opt for five trains. If passengers remain fully waitlisted after charting, they will be considered for these other trains, departing between 30 minutes-12 hours from the scheduled departure, depending on seat availability. However, boarding and terminating stations might vary slightly. Any difference in fare between booked and confirmed trains won't be refunded.
A host of other changes for user-friendly experience
Among other changes, you can now check availability of berths on IRCTC without logging in. The booking process has been made easier with new filters like departure/arrival time, class, train and quota. You can now save as many as six 'preferred banks' for quick payment. Under 'My Transactions,' you can view booked tickets based on various parameters, like booking date, and journey date.
