India
oi-Gaurav Sharma
The
Indian
Railways
has
introduced
a
new
rule
requiring
Aadhaar-based
OTP
authentication
for
all
Tatkal
ticket
bookings.
This
change,
effective
from
July
15,
2025,
is
intended
to
prevent
misuse
of
Tatkal
train
tickets
and
make
the
booking
process
easier
for
passengers.
Whether
booking
online
through
IRCTC
or
offline
at
Passenger
Reservation
System
(PRS)
counters
and
authorised
agents,
Aadhaar
OTP
verification
is
now
a
necessary
step.
Starting
July
1,
2025,
only
users
authenticated
with
Aadhaar
can
book
Tatkal
tickets
on
the
IRCTC
website
and
mobile
apps.
If
your
profile
isn’t
Aadhaar
verified
on
the
IRCTC
app,
you
won’t
be
able
to
book
Tatkal
tickets.
To
authenticate
your
user
profile,
log
in
to
the
IRCTC
website
or
app,
navigate
to
“My
Account,” click
on
“Authenticate
User,”
and
complete
the
process.
Railways
Aadhaar
Authentication
for
Tatkal
Bookings
From
July
15,
2025,
Aadhaar-based
OTP
authentication
becomes
mandatory
for
online
Tatkal
bookings.
Passengers
must
enter
an
OTP
sent
to
their
Aadhaar-linked
mobile
number
during
booking.
This
applies
to
both
online
and
offline
bookings
at
PRS
counters
or
through
authorised
agents.
The
extra
verification
layer
ensures
that
only
genuine
passengers
book
Tatkal
tickets.
For
offline
bookings
at
PRS
counters
or
via
authorised
agents,
Aadhaar
OTP
authentication
is
also
required.
Passengers
need
to
provide
their
Aadhaar
number
and
registered
mobile
number
during
booking.
Once
the
OTP
is
successfully
verified,
the
train
ticket
will
be
issued.
Changes
in
Booking
Timings
and
Fares
From
July
1,
2025,
authorised
agents
face
restrictions
on
booking
train
tickets
during
specific
times
to
prioritise
individual
passengers.
For
AC
classes:
Agents
cannot
book
between
10:00
AM
and
10:30
AM.
For
non-AC
classes:
Agents
cannot
book
between
11:00
AM
and
11:30
AM.
The
Indian
Railways
increased
train
fares
from
July
1,
2025.
The
hike
affects
premier
services
like
Rajdhani,
Shatabdi,
Duronto,
Vande
Bharat,
Tejas,
Humsafar,
Amrit
Bharat,
Mahamana,
Gatimaan,
Antyodaya,
Jan
Shatabdi,
Yuva
Express,
AC
Vistadome
coaches,
Anubhuti
coaches
and
ordinary
non-suburban
services
beyond
500
km.
Reservation
Chart
Preparation
The
railway
board
has
proposed
preparing
reservation
charts
eight
hours
before
departure
instead
of
four
hours
earlier.
For
trains
leaving
before
1400
hours,
the
chart
will
be
ready
by
2100
hrs
the
previous
day.
This
change
allows
passengers
more
time
to
arrange
alternative
travel
if
needed.
Tatkal
tickets
can
be
booked
one
day
before
a
train’s
departure
date
(excluding
journey
date).
For
AC
classes
like
1A,
2A,
3A;
bookings
open
at
10:00
AM
the
day
before
travel.
Non-AC
classes
such
as
Sleeper
and
Second
Sitting
open
at
11:00
AM
on
the
same
day.
