Booking of railways Tatkal tickets needs Aadhar-based OTP authentication from July 1: Ashwini Vaishnaw

The Union Minsiter of Railways Ashwini Vaishnaw on Tuesday announced that tatkal ticket bookings which are based on OTP verifications will come into effect by July 1, 2025.

This move has been contemplated in order to remove middlemen, the minister said.

Railways: Recent Developments

The Indian Railways is also working on a project to issue passenger reservation charts 24 hours before the departure time of a train.

At present, charts are being issued 4 hours prior to train departure times, causing inconvenience to passengers holding wait-listed or RAC (reservation against cancellation) tickets.

According to Vaishnaw, this move will be implemented soon across the nation.

Modifications In The Tatkal Booking System

The Indian Railways had announced modifications in the tatkal ticket booking system last week, with an aim to ensure transparent access and to remove middlemen from the booking process.

Starting from July 1, Tatkal tickets through IRCTC's official website and mobile app will be available only to users authenticated with Aadhaar.

Additionally, Aadhaar-based OTP authentication will become mandatory starting July 15, 2025.

Further, tatkal tickets that are booked at computerised Passenger Reservation System (PRS) counters and through authorised agents will require OTP authentication sent to the mobile number provided by the user at the time of the booking. This move will also come into effect o July 15, 2025.

To prevent bulk bookings during the critical opening period, authorised ticketing agents of Indian Railways will not be permitted to book opening-day Tatkal tickets during the first 30 minutes of the booking window.

This restriction applies for AC classes from 10:00 am to 10:30 am and for non-AC classes from 11:00 am to 11:30 am. 

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