Aadhaar must for 1st 15 minutes of railway booking

NEW DELHI: Starting Oct 1, only Aadhaar-authenticated users will be allowed to book reserved general rail tickets through the IRCTC website or app during the first 15 minutes of bookings being opened for any train. Currently, Aadhaar authentication is required only for Tatkal bookings. Reservations for trains open 60 days before their scheduled departure.

The new rule aims to prevent unscrupulous elements from reserving tickets within minutes of the booking window being opened. On busy routes and for popular trains, most tickets are typically booked within the first 10 minutes.

In a circular, the railway ministry said, "With a view to ensuring that the benefits of the reservation system reach the common end user and are not misused by unscrupulous elements, it has been decided that with effect from October 1, 2025, during the first 15 minutes of the opening of general reservation, reserved general tickets can be booked through the website of Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC)/its app only by Aadhaar-authenticated users."

After the initial 15-minute window, authorised ticket agents will be allowed to book online reservations. There will be no change in the timing or process for booking general reserved tickets through the computerised Passenger Reservation System (PRS) counters of the Indian Railways.

Officials noted that a similar circular had previously imposed a 15-minute restriction on agents for Tatkal bookings. The positive impact of that policy is behind the issuance of the new circular for general bookings.