A representative image.
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The festive season is around the corner. Diwali and Chhath are peeking through the window, and in fact, people from across India are moving to their hometowns to celebrate the festivals with their families.
In the meantime, booking train tickets for travelling always becomes a race against time, with seats filling up weeks in advance. Many passengers end up stranded on long waiting lists or are forced to look for alternate travel options.
To ease this annual struggle, the Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) has rolled out the "Vikalp" Scheme, designed to improve the chances of getting a confirmed seat for passengers with waitlisted or RAC tickets.
Under this scheme, travellers who opt for the service while booking can be automatically accommodated on another train on the same route at no extra cost, but only if seats are available in the other trains on the same route.
The system searches for vacant seats on alternate trains between 30 minutes to 72 hours from the original train's departure, though it does not guarantee confirmation. Moreover, boarding and destination stations may also get shifted to nearby cluster stations.
To avail the feature, passengers simply need to login to the official IRCTC website, and select the Vikalp option during online booking and can choose up to seven alternate trains. If confirmed, the new PNR details will be sent to the passenger.
However, passengers should note that the standard cancellation rules apply if they decide not to travel on the allocated train. While the fare difference is non-refundable, those who do not board the alternate train, can claim a refund through TDR.
With the Vikalp Scheme, IRCTC aims to make festive travel smoother while optimising train capacity and reducing the chance of last-minute chaos.