Wedding season is here, and many families are looking for unique and comfortable ways to travel with their entire wedding party.
While flights and buses are common, trains remain the top choice for many — thanks to their comfort, safety, and ability to accommodate large groups.
But here’s something many people don’t know — you can actually book an entire train or a coach for your event! Yes, it’s completely possible to charter your own train for weddings, family functions, or special events.
How to Book a Full Train or Coach
You can’t do this through the regular IRCTC website or app.
Instead, you’ll need to use a special platform created by the Indian Railways — the IRCTC Full Tariff Rate (FTR) website: https://www.ftr.irctc.co.in/ftr/
Here’s how it works:
Create an account on the FTR website.
Log in and check available trains.
Select your travel cities and dates.
Make the required payment to confirm your booking.
You can also visit your nearest railway station to get details about charter train bookings if you prefer an offline process.
Types of Bookings and Important Rules
The FTR platform allows three types of bookings:
Train Charters: Book an entire train.
Coach Charters: Book one or more coaches.
Saloon Charters: Book special luxury saloon coaches.
To make a booking, you must pay a registration fee of ₹50,000 per coach.
The final cost depends on factors like distance, number of stops, and type of service.
However, not every train is available for charter.
The service covers mail, express, and intercity trains, but premium trains like Rajdhani, Shatabdi, Duronto, and Vande Bharat are excluded.
Festive Season Restrictions
To ensure regular passengers aren’t affected, IRCTC blocks private bookings during major festivals.
Bookings will not be available during these dates:
October 13 to November 4, 2025 (Diwali period)
February 25 to March 11, 2026 (Holi period)
So, if you’re planning a big wedding or family trip by train, make sure to book well in advance and avoid these blackout periods.
