IRCTC Tatkal ticket booking timings, charges, cancellation rules: All you need to know

IRCTC Tatkal ticket booking: Summer vacation is here and most travellers would have started planning their trips. But, the biggest task is to get Indian railways tickets during the peak season. Indian Railways' Tatkal Scheme comes to the rescue of passengers. It is for passengers who want to travel on an urgent basis. IRCTC Tatkal booking is available on payment of premium charges on a first-come-first-served basis. The booking window for tatkal tickets opens at least 24 hours before the date of travel. If you are planning for a Tatkal E-ticket then you should know that it can be booked for select trains one day in advance excluding date of journey from the train originating station. 

IRCTC Tatkal Ticket Booking timings:
It can be booked on an opening day from 10:00 hrs for AC class (2A/3A/CC/EC/3E) and at 11:00 hrs for Non- AC class(SL/FC/2S). 
Eg. If a train is to depart from originating station on 2nd August, Tatkal Booking will commence at 10:00 AM for AC class (2A/3A/CC/EC/3E) and for Non AC class the bookings will be started 11:00 AM on 1st August.

IRCTC Tatkal Ticket Tatkal charges
The passengers have to pay extra charges per ticket in addition to the normal cost. The Tatkal Charges have been fixed as a percentage of fare at the rate of 10% of basic fare for second class and 30% of basic fare for all other classes subject to minimum and maximum as given in the table below:-

Tatkal tickets will be issued for actual distance of travel, instead of end-to-end, subject to the distance restriction applicable to the train. The same Tatkal berth/seat may be booked in multiple legs till preparation of charts. For some trains/class/locations Tatkal quota may not be available. So to avoid the mess at the last moment it is suggested to check the availability before booking the tickets.
IRCTC Tatkal Ticket cancellation rules

One should also know that No refund will be granted on cancellation of confirmed Tatkal tickets. For contingent cancellation & waitlisted Tatkal ticket cancellations, charges will be deducted as per existing Railway rules. You can inquire your doubts on the official website of Indian railways  http://contents.irctc.co.in/en/TatkalFaq.html#Q5