Aadhaar verification for early online ticket bookings from October 1

Bengaluru: Starting October 1, passengers booking train tickets online through the Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) will face a new requirement: Aadhaar authentication will be mandatory during the first 15 minutes after the booking window opens.

Currently, train tickets — especially on popular routes — get sold out within minutes of the booking window opening, often due to middlemen and bots blocking tickets in bulk. The Railway Ministry has decided to extend Aadhaar-based checks, previously applied only to Tatkal bookings, to general reservations during the initial booking minutes.

According to officials, passengers wishing to book tickets online as soon as the reservation window opens will need to ensure that their IRCTC account is linked with Aadhaar. During the authentication process, passengers will log in and verify their identity before confirming bookings. After the first 15 minutes, however, Aadhaar verification will not be required, and anyone can book tickets online as usual. The move will not affect ticket counters at railway stations, where the current booking process will continue without Aadhaar requirements. Similarly, agents will continue under existing rules, where they are barred from booking tickets for the first ten minutes after the window opens. For regular passengers, officials recommend creating an IRCTC account and linking it with Aadhaar in advance. “This measure is designed to ensure fair access to tickets and to curb misuse by automated systems,” a railway spokesperson explained.

The rule is expected to make ticketing more transparent and accessible for genuine passengers, particularly on busy routes where demand outstrips supply. With this change, the railways hope to reduce complaints about large-scale blocking of seats by touts and restore public confidence in online booking.