Shortly, you can book your train ticket at your nearest post office. Expanding the reach of reserved tickets nearer to the doorsteps of passengers even in remote areas, the Indian Railways [IR] on Tuesday signed a Memorandum of Understating (MoU) with the Department of Posts, to allow selling of reserved tickets through post offices [POs].
Mr Lalu sought the co-operation of the Communication Ministry to provide the facility at the post offices so that Railway passengers from villages need not travel long distances and stand in long queues for tickets.
Initially, the tickets will be available in 30 POs in different states on a pilot basis.
 and would cover the entire country in phases. This will be later extended countrywide through the huge network of more than 1.55 lakh POs and especially to other POs, where the IR do not have a presence. Karnataka’s POs, however, do not figure in the pilot project.
India Post will issue reserved railway tickets through the computerized Passenger Reservation System (PRS) counters provided by the IR at such POs, as mutually agreed upon by the IR and the India Post. These locations operated by India Post, will book all types of tickets including concession and military vouchers like any other regular railway PRS centres.
India Post will realize some service charges from the passengers in lieu of issue of tickets. These are Rs. 15 for II class sleeper II class sitting (2S), Rs. 20 for III AC and AC Chair Car, Rs. 30 for II AC, I AC and First Class and Rs. 10 for cancellation charges (for all classes). Charges are inclusive of service tax.
The PRS to be operated by India Post will be named “India Post PRS Centre”. The IR will provide hardware, communication equipment and communication channels for which initial as well as recurring cost will be borne by IR. The accommodation, lighting, other infrastructure arrangements and the staff for issuing the tickets will be provided by the India Post. The training of the staff of the India Post will be arranged by IR at mutually agreed locations.
The agreement will be valid for a period of five years and its progress will be reviewed annually. It will be renewed after expiry of the existing agreement on mutually agreed terms and conditions.