Aadhaar-linked IRCTC account holders to get priority in tatkal ticket booking? Railway Minister responds
Indian Railways Ticket Booking: Indian Railways (IR) has undertaken several measures to ease the ticket booking process. A passenger’s journey begins the moment they book a ticket. Effective July 1, 2025, new norms for Tatkal train ticket bookings have come into force.
Aadhaar-linked IRCTC account to get priority in ticket booking?
During the ongoing Monsoon Session of Parliament, 11 Rajya Sabha MPs — Maya Naroliya, Mithilesh Kumar, Dr. Dinesh Sharma, Mayank Kumar Nayak, Brij Lal, Kiran Choudhry, Dr. Sumer Singh Solanki, Narayana Koragappa, Ramilaben Becharbhai Bara, Baburam Nishad, and Rameswar Teli – raised queries with Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw regarding the ticket booking system.
The MPs sought clarification on whether Aadhaar-based authentication would be mandatory for Tatkal ticket bookings and whether passengers with Aadhaar-linked IRCTC accounts would receive booking priority. They also questioned how these measures would help curb misuse of Tatkal tickets by agents and touts.
Responding to this, on August 1, Vaishnaw said that tickets under Tatkal Scheme can be booked through the website of Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC)/its app only by Aadhaar authenticated users. He added that the agents have been barred from booking tickets during first 30 minutes of ARP of Tatkal booking.
“Measures taken in this regard have improved ease of booking by reducing instant booking of tickets. The system has also been made more equitable by restricting multiple bookings using fake accounts.
Taking steps to ensure transparency in booking of Tatkal tickets based on feedback received on various platforms is a continuous and ongoing process,” the minister replies.
Indian Railways Tatkal Ticket Booking Timings IRCTC
As per Indian Railways revised norms for Tatkal ticket booking, the restriction timing for AC Classes applies from 10:00 am to 10:30 am while for non-AC classes from 11 am to 11:30 am, for agents.
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Tatkal Ticket Booking at PRS counters, Agents
The Tatkal tickets 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 booking.
