When booking train tickets you must be aware of the seat availability. This will help you in understanding the number of seats that are available within the stipulated date of journey, so that you can plan your trip accordingly.

But, the problem is how to check the seat availability of trains or what are those specific portals that will be able to provide you accurate information regarding Indian Railway seat availability?

If you are struggling with the same questions then worry no more, as this article will focus on the essential tips and tricks that will help you in gathering optimal information about seat availability in no time.
 

Indian Railway Seat Availability | Image Resource : indiafascinates.com

3 Certified Methods to Find Indian Railway Seat Availability

Now, there are three potential methods that can be utilized to discover Indian Railway seat availability in between two stations and they are

•    IRCTC Account: A registered member of IRCTC can easily get access to his/her account and the same can be used for checking Indian Railway seat availability. For doing so, all you need to do is mention the boarding station, destination and the travel date, and before you know it the system would generate available seats of various classes. You have to click on each, so as to make a note of their seat availability.

•    Online Travel Agents (OTT): If you do not have a IRCTC account then do not worry, as online travel agents are here for the rescue. There are innumerable travel agents out there who have linked train ticket booking with IRCTC, so that customers can get latest and accurate Indian Railway seat availability details. However, do make sure that you rely on a creditable OTT.

•    Online Portals: Since the Indian Railways is a government run organization, there are many online portals that provide information about seat availability. Some of them are zone dedicated, division dedicated and while some are just meant for checking the Indian Railway seat availability  
 

IRCTC | Image Resource : allupdates.in

What To Do When Confirmed Tickets Are Not Available?

Despite of having an extensive network of trains, the Indian Railway may not be able to serve endless people at once. This is the run why each train has its own limited number of seats. Once these seats are booked then the next passengers are automatically tolled to Reservation Against Cancellation (RAC), Waiting List (WL) and so on.

In such cases you can take advantage of Indian Railway seat availability tatkal, using which you can book tickets about 24 hours before the date of journey. Do remember that there are certain time restrictions associated with these bookings, where the booking can be made during morning hours for a short period of time. Therefore, it is always advised that you book the tickets early as soon as the tatkal booking session begins, allowing you to have a confirmed ticket.

Still, if there is no Indian Railway seat availability then you can book your tickets and wait for the of departure, as there are many passengers who tend to cancel their tickets due to some or the other reason. And if your ticket does not get confirmed til the last moment then you can always cancel it and get a refund for the same.