Kolkata: Booking an entire bus is no big deal. Contact the number written on the bus or the website of the transport operator and they will easily get in done. But do you know that it is possible to book an entire coach of a train, or more than one coach or even an entire train if the need arises. You might need to do it for taking a big party to a wedding or a holiday. There are ways of doing it through IRCTC (Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation).

If the number of passengers you want to take in a group is large enough, it could be prudent to book an entire coach or even an entire train. The deposit amounts, obviously, will vary. For example, one has to pay Rs 50,000 if you want to book a single coach or Rs 1 lakh for two coaches. The point to note is that, if you want to book an entire train, you might have to book 18 bogies at the least to 24 bogies at the most.

A coach for Rs 50,000

IRCTC FTR is the relevant service that one has to opt for if one wants to book a coach, or more than one coach or the entire train. FTR stands for Full Tariff Rate. By paying this rate one can (an individual or an organisation) book entire trains/individual coaches to fulfil their travel needs.

The security deposit to book an entire coach is Rs 50,000. If one wants to book a couple of bogies, the amount is just double — Rs 1 lakh. For booking the entire train, one has to book a minimum of 18 bogies for which an individual/company has to pay a security deposit of Rs 9 lakh. One has to note that even if you need 10 coaches, one has to pay security deposit of 18 coaches.

The authorities has the freedom to decide the travel cost based on the distance of the destination and the number of coaches needed. The security deposit is returned after the journey is undertaken. The travel cost will be deducted from the security deposit and the rest of the amount will be returned.

Steps to book a train or a coach

ONE: Enter IRCTC and search for FTR. One has to now register with the details asked for.

TWO: Select coach if you want a full coach. Select train if you want the entire train.

THREE: The user can choose type of coach — sleeper, three-tier AC, two-tier AC or first-class AC.

FOUR: Indicate the beginning and termination of the journey.

FIVE: Booking must be done at least 30 days before the journey.

SIX: Once you pay the security deposit, the booking confirmation will be sent within a week.

The rules state that in an emergency situation one can try to book offline. However, it will need the approval of the Railway Board.