Timing is very important and trains are no exception. While the trains running on time shows the railway's efficiency, trains running behind schedule creates unrest, causes frustration among people.

IRCTC Train Ticket Booking Timings

Train tickets on IRCTC can be booked from 00:30 am to 11:45 pm. Between 11:45 pm and 12:30 am, when online train booking system is closed for regular maintenance. Earlier IRCTC shutdown period was 1 hr.

Knowing the right train timings is important in order to choose the correct train, the train that suits you. The login page of IRCTC doesn't list the times of train to unauthenticated users.

Only after a user is logged into "IRCTC next generation online booking system," at the time of planning his journey, the train times are revealed by IRCTC, and that too is for specific trains that run on route for which a user is seeking trains for journey and booking tickets.

irctc train timings
list of indian railway train and their timings


Find Timings of Trains on IRCTC

While, after login, IRCTC online train booking system shows train timings automatically, can it be done more easily?

Suppose you can't login, because of slow internet speed or you have forgotten your login credentials, than how can you get train times? And we know that booking session remains open only for 3-5 minutes. If you waste time searching here and there about the times of trains, you could be logged out of railway reservation system, and by the time you come back again all the available trains may be already fully booked. Also you will have to login again.

Is there a way we can find the train departure and arrival times of train running in railway on IRCTC without logging in?

Answer to all the above questions is YES.

Find Updated Train Times

There are two options (applicable for both e-ticket and i-ticket booking)

Passenger Train Timings

Option 1: Go to train schedule page to get the train timetable.
Option 2: Go and buy latest trains at a glance which contains printed tables for each train route and schedule.

Running Train Timings

What about timings of currently running train (train on the run)?

To know if train is running on time (right time) or train is running late (delayed), and is out of sync with scheduled arrival and departure times, there are couple of options available to the railway user.

Option 1: Go to erail and enter the train name or train number to get the information
Option 2: Go to railway enquiry and look for timings of running train.

If all the above options fail, there is yet another option left. Make a call on toll free number 139 and find information about train arrival and departure at a particular station by mentioning it's STD code.

The timing for doing railway reservation online on IRCTC is 00.30 AM to 12:45 PM (Indian Standard Time) on all days including Sundays. Please note that the service hours are liable to be changed without prior notice. For 45 minutes irctc.co.in is closed for online train ticket booking.

IRCTC Ticket Booking Times on Opening Day

Opening day booking will be available only on after 8 AM. If you try booking railway tickets on IRCTC before 8 AM,  the reservation will fail, with your account getting debited. IRCTC will refund the entire fare and  service charges that may be charged, but the bank/card transaction charges are likely to be forfeited.

Here opening day means 120 days in advance of the date of journey (journey date not to be included) from train originating station . Please note that in case of some intercity day trains, the ARP (advance reservation period) is less than 60 days.

Exceptions to IRCTC Timings

  • Sometimes the reservation times are changed due to change in train's schedule or route change.
  • For Tejas Express train online booking on IRCTC can be done only 60 days in advance and not 120 days as in case of other trains.
  • IRCTC Tatkal booking timings and rules are different.

Glossary of terms used in this article:

  • IRCTC: Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation.
  • Next Generation: New version of irctc.co.in railway website.
  • Tejas Express: India's new private train.
  • e-ticket: ticket booked online on IRCTC.
  • i-ticket: ticket booked online and delivered to customer at home.

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