Aadhaar Verification Mandatory for First 15 Minutes of Train Ticket Booking from Oct 1

New Delhi (The Uttam Hindu): In a major move to curb touts in online train ticket booking and provide relief to genuine passengers, the Indian Railways has announced a key change effective October 1, 2025. From this date, during the first 15 minutes of online booking for general train reservations, only Aadhaar-verified users will be able to book tickets via the IRCTC website or app.

Until now, this rule was applicable only to Tatkal bookings, but it will now be extended to general reservations as well.

General train ticket bookings open 60 days in advance, starting every midnight at 12:20 am. Under the new rule, from 12:20 am to 12:35 am, only passengers with Aadhaar-verified IRCTC accounts will be able to book tickets. Those without Aadhaar verification will have to wait until after 12:35 am to make their bookings.

This change comes as a response to the long-standing issue where, during peak festive seasons such as Diwali, Chhath Puja, Holi, and wedding months, tickets get sold out within minutes of the booking window opening. Touts and middlemen exploit this demand, making it difficult for genuine passengers to secure confirmed tickets.

By mandating Aadhaar authentication, the Railways aims to ensure that real passengers get priority access to confirmed seats. Notably, the Railways had already implemented this rule for online Tatkal bookings in July 2025, which yielded positive results.