The mighty veteran Purulia Express serving for decades, daily commuters' lifeline and witness to a Rising Bengal! - Soumyadip Mahato

Foreign Tourists can buy any class of ticket. FTQ is just for last minute booking, if the train is full, as a courtesy to tourists. Can't book FTQ from abroad.

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FT quota tickets can be booked 1 year in advance unlike other tickets which is 60 days. There are quiet a few Travel Agents in different countries who do it for you. Even in India you can book 1 year in advance with the ticketing supervisor.

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Of course you need to go in person to get tickets under FT. You need a valid tourist visa "T" too. Once I tried to get a ticket for a friend along with mine and they refused as she hadn't arrived in India yet. Honestly it all depends on the PRS clerk. Some really check and some don't. It is your luck. Once I saw a bunch of Indian workers from Libya on board Bhubaneshwar Rajdhani sitting along with me who had confirmed tickets in FT quota. When I asked they said some agent in Palam takes Rs1000 and confirms their ticket in FT. I have seen in NDLS foreign tourist center(1st floor NDLS) take money and issue FT quota to Pakistanis. All this is from my experience. Usually Pakistanis never get a tourist visa. They get business visa, family visitation visa, medical visa, journalist visa, clergy visa etc.

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For reference am posting my Indian Visa. The type should be "T" to be eligible for FT quota. Am blackening some info as this is a public domain.

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