New Tatkal ticket rules: Can Aadhaar and OTP fix the system? here's what's changing from July 1

Booking Tatkal tickets for urgent train journeys has been an extreme sport in India — and for years, bots and agents have rigged the system. That might change now.

The Ministry of Railways on Wednesday announced sweeping changes in rules for booking Tatkal tickets for train journeys, which promise to resolve a lot of issues passengers currently face.

What's Tatkal in Railways?

Tatkal is a special quota for booking train tickets, primarily for those who need to travel urgently. Available across Sleeper and AC classes, Tatkal tickets are booked one day in advance of the journey.

Aadhaar and OTP authentication

One of the most important changes is the Aadhaar authentication for booking Tatkal tickets through IRCTC’s official website and mobile application.

Only users authenticated with Aadhaar will be able to book tickets online starting July 1.

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

"With effect from 01-07-2025, tickets under the Tatkal scheme can be booked through the website of Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC)/ its app only by Aadhaar authenticated users," the ministry said in a circular dated June 10.

System-based OTP authentication

The other significant change is related to booking the Tatkal tickets through computerised Passenger Reservation System (PRS) counters and authorised agents.

According to the ministry’s directive, Tatkal tickets booked at computerised PRS counters and through authorised agents will require OTP authentication sent to the mobile number provided by the users at the time of booking.

"Tatkal tickets shall be available for booking through computerized PRS (Passenger Reservation System) counters of Indian Railways/authorized agents only after authentication of a system-generated OTP, which shall be sent through the system on the mobile number furnished by the users at the time of booking," the circular read.

Aadhaar authentication won’t be required in this method.

This rule will also come into effect from July 15, 2025.

Booking time restriction for authorised agents

The last major change has been aimed at preventing bulk booking during the critical initial period on the opening day. The authorised agents will be barred from booking opening-day Tatkal tickets during the first 30 minutes of the booking window.

They will be blocked from booking air-conditioned class Tatkal tickets between 10:00 am and 10:30 am, and non-AC class tickets from 11:00 am to 11:30 am.

Why the changes are important

Users frequently report that the IRCTC website and app crash, slow down, or become unresponsive during Tatkal booking hours.

And even if everything works fine, Tatkal tickets often sell out within seconds, leaving users with waitlisted tickets or no tickets at all.

It’s well known that unauthorised agents use bots or illegal software to snap up tickets instantly, and then charge anywhere between ₹1,000 and ₹3000 per passenger.

The government has also acknowledged the issue of bots and automated traffic on IRCTC website.

The ministry of railways last week said that the Indian Railways has overhauled its digital ticketing platform to curb automated bookings by “unscrupulous” agents.

Earlier, up to 50% of login attempts during the first five minutes were made by bots, a government release said.

With the deployment of advanced anti-bot systems and partnership with a major Content Delivery Network (CDN) provider, the automated traffic, according to the ministry, has effectively been blocked.

The measures resulted in 2.5 crore suspected user IDs being deactivated for booking tickets, the release added.

The Aadhaar-based OTP authentication for Tatkal promises to deter unauthorised travel agents from booking tickets. But it is yet to be seen if the method is foolproof.

While preventing authorised agents from booking opening-day Tatkal tickets during the first 30 minutes of the booking window is a welcome change for common users, relentless crackdown on unauthorised agents trying to game the system could hold the key to a successful plan.

It’s an open secret that the so-called agents have complete control, through unethical means, over ticket counters at railway stations during the first five minutes of the Tatkal window. They hire men who stand (read sleep) in queues overnight outside the ticket counter on behalf of their clients.

The provision of system-based OTP authentication at PRS counters may provide some extra time to users trying to book a ticket online. However, the government still needs to find a way to safeguard the interests of genuine passengers who want to book Tatkal tickets at PRS counters.