Indian railways , which is the fourth largest rail track in the world, in which over 30 million passengers commute every day, maintains a ticket reservation system through Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation Limited which enables you to buy rail tickets online.

As you sign in to your account with IRCTC portal, you will find a number of services offered by railways, apart from giving you the facility of online booking of rail tickets.

These services include rendering of the following information relevant to railway tickets reservation:

€Availability of rail tickets at Major stations
€Train schedules giving help for your travel planning
€SMS Service which sends you the VRM to be produced for inspection at the time of travel in place of printed ticket.
€Train berth availability giving you the current position of berth availability in a particular train.
€Train running information to check when and where a particular train is running to know the right time of arrival at a particular station.
€Train type information which section provides you the type and facilities a particular train offers, such as catering service
€Station Codes which helps you to do quick booking using the quick booking portal.
€Trains at a glance giving you a list of trains all over India.
€Reservation rules putting you wise on how to do the reservation and the €dos and don'ts' while reserving railway tickets.
€Information for International tourists giving details of the facilities and formalities pertaining to foreign travelers in Indian railways.
€The portal also gives the following information helping you to do booking rail tickets online:
€User registration guide
€Quick book Ticket guide, helping you to know how you can do your rail tickets booking in a single screen, provided you know the station code and the train number
€Booking E Ticket, which is obtaining printable rail tickets on the screen itself, known as VRM
€Booking I Ticket, explaining as to how you book regular railway tickets which will be sent to you by land mail to your address.
€Cancelling E Ticket
€Cancelling I Ticket
€Booking Season Ticket

The portal also addresses the following enquiries of the customers:

€Reservation enquiries
€PNR enquiry
€Train enquiry
€Train/Fare Accommodation
€Train between important stations
€New Train numbers
€Railway enquiry-139

The portal also gives information on various other matters, with facility for the Ticket agents to open and transact and other Indian Railways related news items

Nowadays, you do not have to carry the hard copy of the ticket. IRCTC gives you a VRM message in your mobile phone instantaneously when buying rail tickets online and also send you an eMail. It is enough if you use your message or the eMail for your travel.