Trouble booking Tatkal train tickets on IRCTC website via travel agents? Railways’ new anti-bot move explained

Indian Railways has overhauled its digital ticketing platform to curb automated bookings by “unscrupulous” agents and improve access for genuine passengers, the Ministry of Railways said on Wednesday.

The national carrier deployed advanced anti-bot systems and partnered with a major Content Delivery Network (CDN) provider to boost its online ticketing infrastructure.

The measures have effectively blocked automated traffic, which typically spikes during the first five minutes of Tatkal ticket sales, when up to 50% of login attempts are made by bots, according to the ministry.

This resulted in 2.5 crore suspected user IDs being deactivated for booking tickets, the release said.

“A landmark achievement was recorded on May 22, 2025, with the highest-ever per-minute booking of 31,814 tickets, showcasing the robustness and scalability of the upgraded platform,” it added.

New user authentication protocols have also been introduced to deter misuse.

Non-Aadhaar verified users are now required to wait three days after registration before booking high-demand tickets such as Tatkal or Premium Tatkal. Aadhaar-verified users face no such delay.

“These efforts have delivered measurable improvements,” the ministry said in a statement.

Following the overhaul, the average daily user logins rose by 19.5% year-on-year in FY 2024–25 to 82.57 lakh, up from 69.08 lakh a year earlier. Daily ticket bookings grew by nearly 12% over the same period. E-ticketing now accounts for 86.4% of all reserved tickets booked.

Other key systemic upgrades include serving 87% of static website content via CDN to improve load times, AI-based detection and suppression of bot traffic, and streamlined mechanisms for reporting cyber violations.

The railway ministry said it remains committed to delivering a “seamless, secure and user-friendly ticketing experience.”

“Continuous innovation and modernization will remain central to ensuring equitable access and safeguarding the interests of millions of passengers across the country.”

Meanwhile, Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said that the Indian Railways will soon have an e-Aadhaar authentication for booking Tatkal tickets.

“This move will help genuine users get confirmed tickets during need,” Vaishnaw said in a social media post on X.