With this feature, passengers can secure a Seat Guarantee by paying a nominal premium in addition to the regular Tatkal fare when booking on select trains through the redRail platform. Should the booking remain unconfirmed, users will receive a refund valued at three times the ticket price — a full refund of the ticket fare plus a voucher worth double the ticket value, redeemable on redBus or redRail.
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Tatkal bookings are often associated with last-minute stress and unreliable confirmations. Due to limited availability and high demand, passengers frequently find themselves without options. For instance, the IRCTC e-ticketing platform recorded its peak hourly Tatkal booking rate of 1,85,513 tickets between 10 am and 11 am on 21 March 2024.
“Tatkal booking represents one of the most stressful moments for Indian rail travelers. With a tight window, limited supply, and low confirmation rates—especially for waitlisted Tatkal tickets—users often hesitate to book due to uncertainty. That’s what inspired us to create ‘Seat Guarantee for Tatkal tickets’,” explained Prakash Sangam, CEO of redBus.
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“This tech-driven solution aims to enhance trust and confidence in last-minute train travel. With this initiative, we are not only addressing a functional challenge but also empowering millions of users to make more assured and stress-free booking decisions during crucial travel times,” he added.
Additionally, redRail has noted that a significant number of users who selected the Seat Guarantee traveled successfully on confirmed Tatkal tickets. For those whose tickets did not confirm, the threefold compensation offered through instant credits facilitated quick recovery and better rebooking options.
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While this feature is currently available only on select routes, the highest adoption has been observed in southern India, followed by the western region. The company has extended the Seat Guarantee feature to cover general quota waitlist bookings, providing a broader safety net for diverse passengers.
RedRail, launched by redBus in partnership with IRCTC, provides access to all scheduled train services operated by Indian Railways — amounting to nearly 9 million daily seats. The service is integrated into the redBus app and also offered as a standalone Android application. It caters to older devices and low-bandwidth internet environments, allowing users throughout India to book tickets with reliability.
