It can be a lot of hassle buying a ticket in India for the train, especially if you are on a tight timeline while on holiday and from abroad. I did it 4 years ago without an India mobile number and the process is this:
- Sign up at https://www.irctc.co.in/
- Put a dummy mobile phone number in
- Scan your passport and send a copy of it to care@irctc.co.in
- Include your user ID in the email from when you signed up
- They should allow you access using this email and send confirmation through
Advanced Booking
It’s usual for you to need to book many days, weeks or even months in advance if you are intending to travel on a busy route in peak season, say around Christmas for example. However, if you are a tourist they reserve some places especially which is really quite nice.
Beware Around Train Stations
A lot of con men hang around the train stations because it’s an easy area for them to con tourists. They will tell you all kinds of things and lead you around to places where you are told to hand money over for tickets but don’t believe them. Only pay money at one of the kiosks from someone who is working behind the desk otherwise there is no guarantee that they are who they say they are. Even if the person has ID they make fake ones, I know because I’ve been conned before and this is how they got me…
Mumbai Train Station
So, if you are looking to buy a ticket from CST in Mumbai, which is the main train station, you can go to the 1st floor in the “mainline” building and at window 52 you will find a place to buy tickets which is exclusively for tourists. You must take your passport with you and be ready to buy there and then. I bought a ticket to Goa for the next day and it was the last one in the 3A class of carriage. The cost was 925 rupees. I’ll let you know how it is…