Is there a free tier for developers?

Yes. Every developer receives 10,000 free API credits upon signing in with Google OAuth — no credit card required. You can test live PNR verification, 14-day seat availability, route search, and station boards immediately. Pro top-up packs are available at ₹99 for 100,000 requests.

How do I check live PNR status using the API?

Send an authenticated GET request to https://api.irctc.dev/api/v1/pnr/:pnr with your API key, or use client.pnr.check(pnrNumber) with the official irctc-api npm package. The response includes passenger confirmation status, coach, seat, normalized berth allocation, and charting status.

How does the 14-day train seat availability forecast work?

The Seat Availability endpoint queries the official Indian Railways PRS reservation engine directly via CRIS protocol. It delivers a multi-class, multi-day availability forecast calendar with confirmed confirmation codes (Available, Waitlist, RAC) and zero browser RAM overhead.

Can I check vacant seats after chart preparation?

Yes. The Vacant Seats After Chart Preparation endpoint (/api/v1/trains/:trainNo/chart-vacant) checks real-time vacant berths across coaches for Current Booking and TTE allocation once the reservation chart is prepared.

What programming languages and SDKs are supported?

We provide the official zero-dependency irctc-api npm package with 100% TypeScript definitions for Node.js, alongside runnable code snippets for Python (requests/httpx) and standard cURL.

When is Indian Railways train chart prepared?

The first reservation chart is typically prepared 4 hours before scheduled departure. If seats remain unsold, they are released for Current Booking at regular ticket prices.

Can I monitor multiple trains and stations simultaneously?

Yes. Simply add more objects to the WATCHLIST array. The script iterates through each target during every 2-minute cycle.

Does this endpoint give coach and berth numbers?

Yes. The API returns the exact coach name (e.g. B2, S4) and berth number (e.g. 17 Lower Berth) in the berths array.

Alerts & AutomationIntermediate

10 min read

Build a Telegram Alert Bot for Vacant Berths After Chart Preparation

Learn how to monitor Indian Railways chart preparation 4 hours before departure and send instant Telegram push notifications when vacant berths open for Current Booking.

IRCTC Developer Relations

Platform Engineering

Updated 2026-10-25

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Prerequisites

•Node.js 18+ installed locally or on a cloud server
•A Telegram account to create a bot token with @BotFather
•Free IRCTC Developer API key from https://irctc.dev/dashboard

Architecture Flow

Cron job polls https://api.irctc.dev/api/v1/trains/:trainNo/chart-vacant every 2 minutes starting 4.5 hours before departure ➔ Checks isChartPrepared === true ➔ Extracts vacant seats in 3A/2A/SL ➔ Sends rich Telegram alert with 1-click booking link.

Implementation Steps

(5 Steps)

Jump:#1 #2 #3 #4 #5

Create Your Telegram Bot with @BotFather

Open Telegram, search for @BotFather, send /newbot, and follow prompts to name your bot. Save the HTTP API bot token (e.g. 7182938491:AAH...g).

bash

/newbot

# Enter name: IRCTC Vacant Berth Notifier

# Enter username: irctc_vacant_alert_bot

# BotFather returns: Use this token to access the HTTP API:

# 7182938491:AAHk1_example_token_here

Tip:Also get your personal Telegram Chat ID by messaging @userinfobot to receive test alerts.

Project Setup & Package Installation

Create a directory and install node-telegram-bot-api for Telegram notifications, irctc-api for real-time vacant berth checking, and node-cron for automated scheduling.

bash

mkdir irctc-telegram-alerts && cd irctc-telegram-alerts

npm init -y

npm install node-telegram-bot-api irctc-api node-cron dotenv

npm install -D typescript @types/node @types/node-telegram-bot-api ts-node

npx tsc --init

Tip:node-cron handles precise periodic polling without heavy external workflow infrastructure.

Configure .env Secrets

Store your Telegram credentials and IRCTC API key in .env.

bash

TELEGRAM_BOT_TOKEN=7182938491:AAHk1_example_token_here

TELEGRAM_CHAT_ID=123456789

IRCTC_API_KEY=irctc_live_9a8f2c7e01d4

Tip:Make sure TELEGRAM_CHAT_ID matches your user ID or channel ID where you want alerts delivered.

Implement the Chart Vacant Monitoring Engine

Create bot.ts to poll the vacant berth endpoint, filter target travel classes (e.g. 3A, 2A, SL), and dispatch formatted Telegram push alerts.

typescript

import TelegramBot from 'node-telegram-bot-api';

import { IrctcApi } from 'irctc-api';

import cron from 'node-cron';

import dotenv from 'dotenv';

dotenv.config();

const bot = new TelegramBot(process.env.TELEGRAM_BOT_TOKEN!, { polling: true });

const irctc = new IrctcApi({ apiKey: process.env.IRCTC_API_KEY! });

const CHAT_ID = process.env.TELEGRAM_CHAT_ID!;

// Track alerted state to avoid spamming the user

const alertedTrains = new Set<string>();

interface WatchTarget {

trainNo: string;

boardingStation: string;

desiredClass?: string; // e.g. '3A' or 'ALL'

}

const WATCHLIST: WatchTarget[] = [

{ trainNo: '12557', boardingStation: 'NKE', desiredClass: '3A' },

{ trainNo: '26501', boardingStation: 'BTH', desiredClass: 'ALL' }

];

async function checkVacancies(target: WatchTarget) {

const watchKey = `${target.trainNo}:${target.boardingStation}`;

try {

const chart = await irctc.trains.getChartVacant(target.trainNo, {

boardingStation: target.boardingStation,

class: target.desiredClass || 'ALL'

});

// 1. Chart not ready yet

if (!chart.isChartPrepared) {

console.log(`[⏳ Wait] Train ${target.trainNo}: Chart not prepared yet.`);

return;

}

// 2. Chart prepared and vacancies found

if (chart.totalVacantBerths > 0 && !alertedTrains.has(watchKey)) {

alertedTrains.add(watchKey);

let berthBreakdown = '';

if (chart.classSummary) {

berthBreakdown = Object.entries(chart.classSummary)

.map(([cls, count]) => ` • *${cls}:* ${count} berths`)

.join('\n');

}

const alertMessage = `🚨 *VACANT BERTHS ALERT (Current Booking Open)*

🚆 *Train:* ${chart.trainNumber} - ${chart.trainName}

🚉 *Boarding:* ${chart.boardingStation}

📋 *Chart Status:* Chart Prepared ✅

🎟️ *Total Vacant Berths:* *${chart.totalVacantBerths}*

📊 *Vacancies by Class:*

${berthBreakdown}

⚡ *Action:* Open IRCTC App immediately and book under *Current Booking* before seats sell out!`;

await bot.sendMessage(CHAT_ID, alertMessage, {

parse_mode: 'Markdown',

reply_markup: {

inline_keyboard: [

[

{

text: '📲 Book on IRCTC Portal',

url: 'https://www.irctc.co.in/nget/train-search'

}

]

}

});

console.log(`✅ Sent alert for train ${target.trainNo}: ${chart.totalVacantBerths} berths available.`);

}

} catch (error: any) {

console.error(`Error checking train ${target.trainNo}:`, error.message);

}

// Poll every 2 minutes

cron.schedule('*/2 * * * *', async () => {

console.log('⏰ Running vacant berth poll cycle...');

for (const target of WATCHLIST) {

await checkVacancies(target);

}

});

console.log('🤖 Telegram Vacant Berth Alert Bot active and scheduled!');

Tip:The alert includes an inline button linking directly to the IRCTC e-ticketing portal for instant reservation.

Run with Docker or PM2

Keep the script running 24/7 on a cloud server so you never miss a chart preparation announcement.

bash

npx tsc

pm2 start dist/bot.js --name "vacant-berths-bot"

pm2 save

Tip:Because Current Booking tickets open 4 hours before departure, running 24/7 on a lightweight VPS guarantees timely alerts.

Production Endpoint

Vacant Berths After Charting API

Test live queries and inspect sub-100ms response payloads directly in the browser sandbox.

View Vacant Berths API Reference Open Sandbox →

Build a Telegram Alert Bot for Vacant Berths After Chart Preparation

Implementation Steps

Create Your Telegram Bot with @BotFather

Project Setup & Package Installation

Configure .env Secrets

Implement the Chart Vacant Monitoring Engine

Run with Docker or PM2

Vacant Berths After Charting API

Frequently Asked Questions

Related Tutorials

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