Attention passengers: Aadhaar must for tatkal bookings from July 1

New Delhi: Starting July 1, only Aadhaar-authenticated users will be able to book Tatkal tickets through the IRCTC website and mobile app, the Ministry of Railways announced on Wednesday.

From July 15, Aadhaar-based OTP authentication will also become mandatory for Tatkal bookings made online.

For Tatkal tickets booked at computerised Passenger Reservation System (PRS) counters or through authorised agents, mobile OTP verification will be required from July 15, based on the number provided at the time of booking.

To curb bulk bookings and tout activity, the Railways has also barred authorised agents from booking Tatkal tickets during the critical first 30 minutes of the daily window. This restriction applies from 10:00–10:30 a.m. for AC classes and 11:00–11:30 a.m. for non-AC classes.

The changes are aimed at improving transparency, preventing misuse, and ensuring genuine passengers benefit from the Tatkal scheme, the Ministry said in a statement.

It added that IRCTC and the Centre for Railway Information Systems (CRIS) have been directed to carry out necessary system updates and inform all zonal divisions.

The Ministry also urged passengers to link their Aadhaar with their IRCTC profiles to avoid disruptions in booking Tatkal tickets online.

As part of its crackdown on Tatkal misuse, Indian Railways has already deactivated 2.5 crore fake user IDs and flagged another 20 lakh accounts for revalidation. Many of these were linked to disposable email addresses and used by touts to hoard tickets for resale at inflated prices.

IRCTC is now using AI-based monitoring systems to detect bot activity and prevent automated bulk bookings that deny fair access to genuine users.