New Delhi: Indian Railways has announced the implementation of e-Aadhaar authentication for Tatkal ticket bookings, both online and at ticket counters, to curb fraudulent bookings and enhance access to genuine users. The move announced on Tuesday is also aimed at improving transparency in the ticket reservation system.
The new system is expected to be launched by the end of this month and will apply to all users booking through the IRCTC portal.
The Ministry of Railways has specified that from July 15, 2025, passengers must complete Aadhaar-based OTP authentication for Tatkal bookings. This additional verification step will be mandatory for all users making reservations under the Tatkal quota.
On June 4, Union Minister for Railways Ashwini Vaishnaw announced the update via a post on “X” (formerly Twitter).
Bharatiya Railways will soon start using e-Aadhaar authentication to book Tatkal tickets.
This will help genuine users get confirmed tickets during need.
— Ashwini Vaishnaw (@AshwiniVaishnaw) June 4, 2025
New Tatkal ticket rules from July
Under the new system, all Tatkal bookings from July 1 will be allowed only through the IRCTC website or mobile app, and exclusively for users who have completed Aadhaar verification.
From July 15, the Ministry has made it mandatory for passengers to undergo an additional Aadhaar-linked OTP verification while making reservations.
Indian Railways has also announced stricter guidelines for authorised ticketing agents to prevent misuse of the Tatkal booking facility. These changes aim to make the service more efficient and accessible to genuine travellers.
What is Tatkal booking?
Tatkal booking is a scheme by Indian Railways that allows passengers to book tickets one day before the date of journey. It is particularly useful for last-minute travel plans.
Ticket booking for Tatkal opens at 10:00 am for air-conditioned coaches on the day before the scheduled departure from the origin station. For non-air-conditioned coaches, the booking starts at 11:00 am. Unsold Tatkal tickets are released to passengers on the waiting list.
How to book Tatkal tickets?
- Log in to your IRCTC account (https://www.irctc.co.in/nget/train-search)
- Select your source and destination stations
- Choose your date of journey
- Select quota as ‘TATKAL’ and search for trains
- Click ‘BOOK NOW’ for your preferred train
- Fill passengers’ details such as Name, Age, Gender, Seat Preference
- Select a suitable payment method and proceed to pay for the ticket
- Print your e-ticket.
