Indian Railways is perhaps the safest, most convenient and inexpensive means of travelling. Traveling by train needs getting the tickets reserved before the journey. Since lot of people has started opting for train travel, several different choices are now available for getting the reservation. The most common option available is getting the reservation done at railway counters standing in long queues.
In the contemporary times with the advent of technology people now prefer making online reservation which can be done in a flick of a second. For online reservation you can log on to IRCTC, the official website of the Indian Railways. You can also get the tickets booked through the reputed travel agents by paying nominal charges for the services they offer.
Reservation of railway ticket is open 90 days prior to the departure date of the train. Indian Railways e-ticket and i-ticket will be delivered at your doorstep and the booking is made 2 days prior to the train departure. Though e-ticket can be booked at the last minute. For E-ticketing you require a print out which has to be shown at the time of checking along with an appropriate ID. But in case of i-ticket there is a message on your mobile phone or laptop along with the necessary identity or ID proof during the journey.
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Indian Railways e-ticket and i-ticket has certainly made a reservation of railway tickets very convenient and easy for the passengers who are frequently traveling. The railway booking system has been completely transformed and now you can book the tickets from the convenience of your office or home. People now prefer this system of booking tickets online rather than waiting in long queues. According to the recent surveys this number is expected to multiply by 4 times by the year 2016.
Online ticket reservation has offered enormous help to the passengers who are always short of time. While getting the online reservation there are two types of tickets which are E-tickets and I-tickets. E- Tickets or the electronic tickets are offered by the Indian Railways. After the confirmed ticket is shown on the screen, you can simply take out the print out. It is mandatory to take your ID proof along with the e-ticket. On the other hand I– Tickets should be reserved at least 2 days in advance. In this you are required to fill in the personal data when you are getting the reservation done and to avail this service you have to pay some extra charges according to the distance or the class you are traveling in. I-tickets are sent to the postal address that is mentioned in the filled form.
Though the online reservation service is now being used by a great number of people, and even today we normally see long queues at the railway station at the reservation counters. But with the awareness and people using technology widely, the condition has improved and people are seen making use of this system of online ticket reservation.