When you want to check the train availability and book tickets, you have to enter the source and destination stations. If you are booking the ticket online, you will get the Indian Railway station codes from the drop down box. This will give you a list of all the trains running between the two mentioned stations along with the class of travel, arrival and departure time, days in which the trains run, and so on. After selecting the train of your choice you can check the seat availability and fares of tickets and book your ticket if everything is satisfactory.

By giving the Indian Railway station codes you get the station name and all other details regarding the stations and trains that pass through them. For example, if you type CSTM, you will get all the information you need to know about the Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus Mumbai. CSTM is the station code for the station. You will get to know when it was established, its history, number of platforms in the station, services offered from the station, name of trains that have halts there, facilities available in the station, and modernization taking place in the station.

If the name of a railway station changes, the station code will also change. For example, CLAT, Kurla Terminus, is now changed to LTT Lokmanya Tilak Terminus. Similarly when the Bombay Victoria Terminus was renamed as the Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus, the code was also changed from BB to CSTM. But Chennai Central railway station has still the old station code, MAS.