The Indian Railways will launch its own e-ticketing service for individual users. The new service will be available on its web portal IndianRailways.gov.in. “Unlike the e-ticketing service of IRCTC, the new service by Indian Railway will have no role of travel agents and commercial organisations. Only individual users will be allowed to book on the portal,” a Railway official was reported saying.

Its launch will be announced after necessary clearance for payment gateway transaction, the official said. The service will be available from 12.30 AM to 11.30 PM. “The project was sanctioned with a view to consolidate all the services and information on a single window interface for public,” the official has said.

Under the new railway e-ticketing service, individual customers would need to register themselves for the first time for availing the services. The registration will be free of charge. A maximum of eight transaction per user ID per month will be allowed in the beginning, the official said, adding, the service charges levied will be Rs 5 per ticket for sleeper class and Rs 10 per ticket for all other classes. IRCTC charges Rs 10 per ticket for sleeper class and Rs 20 per ticket for all other classes. The Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation Limited (IRCTC) had also planned to slash charges on booking e-tickets on IRCTC.co.in.

July 2010 saw IRCTC bar e-ticket agents from getting access to tatkal bookings from 8 am to 9 am. The agents were also barred from accessing the IRCTC website for the first hour on the first day of advance reservation period, which opens 90 days in advance.