New Delhi, Sept 15: In a significant move aimed at curbing misuse of the railway reservation system, the Ministry of Railways has announced that from October 1, 2025, only Aadhaar-authenticated users will be permitted to book reserved general tickets through the IRCTC website or mobile app during the first 15 minutes of the booking window. The restriction, which was earlier applicable only to Tatkal ticket bookings, has now been extended to general reservations as well.
According to the ministry’s latest circular, this step is intended to ensure that the benefits of online reservations directly reach genuine passengers and are not cornered by touts or unscrupulous elements using software to manipulate the booking process. “With effect from October 1, during the first 15 minutes of opening of general reservation, reserved general tickets can be booked online only by Aadhaar-authenticated users. Thereafter, authorised ticket agents will also be able to access the system for bookings,” the notification stated.
Officials clarified that there will be no changes in the booking timings at the Indian Railways’ computerised Passenger Reservation System (PRS) counters. Similarly, the existing rule that prevents authorised ticketing agents from making reservations during the first 10 minutes of opening-day bookings at PRS counters will remain in force. “The circular has retained this restriction,” a senior official said.
The Centre for Railway Information Systems (CRIS) and IRCTC have been directed to make the necessary system modifications and communicate the changes to all zonal railways. The move follows the ministry’s earlier decision to impose a similar 15-minute Aadhaar-based restriction on Tatkal ticket bookings — a measure that officials said had yielded positive results in preventing bulk bookings and ensuring fairer access for common passengers.
Explaining how the system will work, officials gave an example: “If reservations for a train open at 10 a.m., from 10:00 to 10:15 a.m., only Aadhaar-authenticated passengers will be able to book their tickets through the IRCTC platform. After the initial window, authorised agents can also begin making reservations.”
Currently, Tatkal bookings — which open at 10 a.m. for AC classes and 11 a.m. for non-AC classes one day before the train’s departure — are already governed by the Aadhaar-authentication rule. The extension of this system to general ticket reservations is seen as an attempt to bring greater transparency and fairness into the reservation process across the board.
Officials emphasised that this initiative is part of a larger effort by the Railway Ministry to strengthen passenger-friendly practices, prevent black-marketing of tickets, and ensure wider access for ordinary travellers. By tying the booking process to Aadhaar verification, the ministry hopes to curb the use of bots and software that enable fraudulent bookings within seconds of ticket counters opening.