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Train Ticket Booking Date Calculator — When Can I Book?

Enter your journey date and see exactly when IRCTC booking opens for it under the 60-day advance reservation rule — general booking at 08:00 IST, plus Tatkal timings, with a live countdown.

Runs entirely in your browser — nothing you enter is uploaded or stored.

Pick your journey date to see the exact date and IST time booking opens for it — general and Tatkal.

The rules this calculator applies

Indian Railways reservations open a fixed number of days before the journey, called the Advance Reservation Period (ARP). The calculator applies the rules in force since 1 November 2024:

  • General booking: opens 60 days before the journey date, counted excluding the journey date itself, at 08:00 IST.
  • Tatkal: opens one day before the journey date — at 10:00 IST for AC classes (2A, 3A, CC, EC, 3E) and 11:00 IST for non-AC classes (SL, FC, 2S).
  • All times are IST (UTC+05:30) — the clock IRCTC booking runs on — regardless of your device timezone.

Worked example: for a journey on 10 November 2026, count back 60 days excluding the journey date — general booking opens on 11 September 2026 at 08:00 IST. Tatkal for the same train opens on 9 November 2026, at 10:00 IST for AC classes and 11:00 IST for non-AC.

120 days or 60 days? Why the internet disagrees

For years the ARP was 120 days, and a large share of articles, forum answers and videos still say so. It changed: with effect from 1 November 2024 the window is 60 days, excluding the journey date. Tickets that had already been booked under the old 120-day window before that date remained valid. If a page tells you 120 days, it predates the change — the 60-day figure is the one IRCTC applies today, and it is what this calculator uses.

Exceptions to the 60-day window

A few categories do not follow the standard window, and this calculator deliberately does not guess at them:

  • Certain day-time intercity and short-distance express trains have shorter advance-booking limits of their own (some open only a few days ahead). Those train-specific limits continue unchanged.
  • The foreign-tourist quota can be booked much earlier — up to 365 days in advance.
  • Special and festival trains are notified with their own booking windows when they are announced.

If your train is a short-distance daytime service, check its booking window on IRCTC before relying on the 60-day date.

Booking day tips

On popular routes, seats in the general quota can sell out within minutes of the window opening — being logged in to IRCTC with passenger details saved before 08:00 IST makes a real difference. If the window has already passed, Tatkal the day before travel and the current-booking window after chart preparation are the remaining options; both are first-come, first-served.

A note on accuracy: the date arithmetic on this page is exact for the rules stated above (60-day ARP, 08:00 IST opening, Tatkal at 10:00/11:00 IST). Railway booking policy does get revised from time to time — IRCTC and Indian Railways announcements are the authoritative source for the rule in force on any given day.

Frequently asked questions

Is IRCTC advance booking 120 days or 60 days?
60 days, not counting the journey date itself. Indian Railways reduced the Advance Reservation Period from 120 days to 60 days with effect from 1 November 2024. A lot of older articles and videos still say 120 days — that figure is out of date. Bookings already made under the old 120-day window before that date stayed valid.
What time does general booking open on IRCTC?
08:00 IST (Indian Standard Time) on the day the 60-day window opens. So for a journey on 10 November, booking opens at 08:00 IST on 11 September — 60 days earlier, excluding the journey date.
When does Tatkal booking open?
Tatkal opens one day before the journey date — not on the 60-day date. It opens at 10:00 IST for AC classes (2A, 3A, CC, EC, 3E) and 11:00 IST for non-AC classes (SL, FC, 2S).
Do all trains follow the 60-day window?
Most do, but there are exceptions. Certain day-time intercity and short-distance express trains have shorter advance-booking limits of their own, and the foreign-tourist quota can be booked up to 365 days ahead. Check the specific train on IRCTC if it is a short-distance daytime service.
Are the times shown in my local timezone?
No — all dates and times on this page are in IST (Indian Standard Time, UTC+05:30), because that is the clock IRCTC booking runs on. The calculator works in IST even if your device is set to another timezone.
Can booking rules change?
Yes. The date arithmetic here applies the rules in force since 1 November 2024 (60-day ARP, 08:00 IST opening, Tatkal at 10:00/11:00 IST). Indian Railways revises booking policy from time to time — IRCTC and Indian Railways announcements are the authoritative source.