Tatkal: A sly fare increment mechanism for Indian Railways?

11 JUL 2014

   I have always wondered how the total number of berths made available under tatkal scheme of booking is decided in any specific train. Can Indian Railways share this information with the traveling public? Is it a % of the total number of berths available in that class? Does this % vary from train to train? Else does it vary from season to season? Or both? Has it increased gradually from year to year thus making the increase in tatkal berths in lieu of a fare increase?

Also there are trains where tatkal is not available at all. Why the need for tatkal is there in in some chosen trains but not there in others?

Can we get answers from the Indian Railways for these questions, so that things get a little more transparent particularly to the traveling public?

I appreciate the present government in that it has come out with an open increase in rail fares rather than fooling the people at large that there has been no increase in the fare but increasing the tatkal quota in a sly way. The sly increase in tatkal quota in the past few years may in deed surpass the increase in the direct increase announced by the current government.

One affected Indian Bakra/bakri - in the service of the people of India.