Railways roll out OTP rule for Tatkal bookings | Details inside

New Delhi: Passengers booking Tatkal train tickets from railway reservation counters will now need to provide a one-time password received on their mobile phones. Officials say the move aims to curb misuse of the last-minute ticket booking facility.

The Railway Ministry introduced the OTP-based Tatkal ticketing system for journeys booked from reservation counters on a pilot basis on 17 November. It began with a few trains before being expanded to 52 services.

The ministry stated that this reservation system will be rolled out for all remaining trains in the coming days.

Why has the OTP-based system been introduced?

According to the ministry, the OTP-based Tatkal reservation system was proposed to make the last-minute ticket booking facility more convenient for regular users.

The ministry said, "Under this system, while booking a Tatkal ticket at a reservation counter, the passenger receives an OTP on the mobile number provided in the reservation form. The ticket is confirmed only after successful OTP verification."

How will this prevent misuse?

Officials noted that the initiative is aimed at curbing misuse of the Tatkal facility and ensuring that genuine passengers have better access to high-demand tickets. They added that the step marks a significant move towards greater transparency, passenger convenience and security in railway ticketing.

What other measures have been introduced?

In recent months, the Railway Ministry has implemented several measures to ensure fair access to ticket reservations and to discourage booking agents from exploiting the system.

In July, the ministry mandated Aadhaar verification through OTP for online Tatkal bookings across the country. From 1 October, it allowed only Aadhaar-authenticated users to book reserved general tickets through the IRCTC website or app during the first 15 minutes after booking opens for any train.

PTI inputs