IRCTC Gets Catering Rights For FTR Services That Lets You Book Entire Coach/Train

The Full Tariff Rate (FTR) service enables passengers or organisations to reserve an entire train or specific coaches for various purposes such as weddings or tour programs.

To book an FTR train, the booking party must provide journey details, coach specifics, and route information, along with a registration cum security deposit of Rs. 50,000 per coach ( Image Source :Canva )

The Ministry of Railways has decided that catering facilities in all coaches or trains booked under the Full Tariff Rate (FTR) service shall be arranged by IRCTC. In an exchange filing on Thursday, IRCTC said that people will book catering facilities in such FTR coaches/trains 'through IRCTC only, except for booking of FTR trains along with Pantry Car."

"In case of booking of full train on FTR including a pantry car coach, booking party may either avail the catering facilities through IRCTC or provide the catering facilities using the pantry," the filing read. 

What Is Full Tariff Rate (FTR) Service?

The Full Tariff Rate (FTR) service enables passengers or organisations to reserve an entire train or specific coaches for various purposes, such as weddings or tour programmes. Booking of FTR trains is available for journeys commencing from stations across all railway divisions. However, coaches can only be attached or detached at stations where trains make a stop of 10 minutes or longer; this flexibility is not available for all trains.

Reservations for FTR can be made up to 6 months in advance or as close as 30 days prior to the journey date.

For a single tour programme, a maximum of 10 coaches can be booked on FTR within one train. In the case of reserving an entire train, a total of 24 coaches can be booked, which includes two mandatory sleeper coaches.

What Are The Full Tariff Rates?

To book an FTR train, the booking party must provide journey details, coach specifics, and route information, along with a registration-cum-security deposit of Rs 50,000 per coach, says the FTR website.

"Party will provide the booking type, journey details of coaches, and route and other details as in the online form along with the payment of registration cum security deposit of Rs. 50,000/- per coach. Even for booking of a train with less than 18 coaches, registration amount for 18 coaches is to be paid (i.e Rs. 9 lakh). Party will be provided with an automatically generated reference number after the payment is made," says FTR terms and conditions. 

Here are some important aspects to be looked into when availing of the FTR service: 

- Security deposit must be paid within 6 days of FTR request initiation.
- If payment is deducted but FTR is not generated, wait until 7 days from the requested date.
- For NEFT/RTGS, partial payments are not eligible for FTR generation and will be refunded.
- In case of an excess amount paid, the excess minus the required amount will be refunded. Amounts less than Rs. 1 will not be refunded, so please pay the exact quoted amount.

What Are The Cancellation Charges? 

If the FTR service request is cancelled before receiving provisional approval from the Railways, 2 per cent will be deducted from the security deposit. For cancellations made within  48 to 24 hours before scheduled departure, and journey fare is not paid, the full security deposit will be forfeited. Between 24 to 4 hours before departure, a cancellation charge of 25 per cent of the chargeable fare will apply. If cancelled within four hours till departure, the cancellation fee will be 50 per cent of the fare.

How To Book The FTR Service?

• Approach the Chief Booking Supervisor (CBS) with a written request containing journey details.
• CBS will enter the details and provide a system-generated slip.
• Visit the UTS counter and submit the registration fee using the reference number.
• Receive a printed money receipt with a unique FTR number after payment.
• Return to the CBS with the FTR number to receive an acknowledgement along with your waiting list position.
• Collect the final confirmed program copy at least 72 hours before the departure.
• Provide the station manager at the departure station with a complete list and passenger details.
• Only one change in the commencement date, within 10 days of the original journey, is allowed.
• Online booking is currently in a pilot testing phase and available for Western Railway stations.
• To book online, visit ftr.irctc.co.in.