Railways makes changes in Tatkal ticket booking at reservation counters: Here’s what you need to know
Published on: Dec 03, 2025 05:29 pm IST
The Railways Ministry mentioned that the OTP-based reservation mechanism shall be applied at counters for all of the remaining trains in the subsequent few days.
Indian Railways is ready to make one-time passwords (OTPs) obligatory for booking Tatkal practice tickets from railway reservation counters, a transfer that officers mentioned goals to curb the misuse of the last-minute ticket booking facility.
Passengers can have to present a one-time password, obtained on their cellphones, to e book Tatkal practice tickets from railway reservation counters.
The Railway Ministry initiated the OTP-based Tatkal ticketing system for journeys booked from reservation counters on a pilot foundation on November 17, information company PTI reported. The transfer initially concerned only a few trains, and later expanded to 52 trains.
This reservation mechanism shall be applied at counters for all of the remaining trains in the subsequent few days, the ministry mentioned in a press release.
According to the assertion, the OTP-based Tatkal ticketing system was proposed to ease the last-minute ticket booking facility for frequent customers.
“Under this system, while booking a Tatkal ticket at a reservation counter, the passenger receives an OTP on the mobile number provided in the reservation form. The ticket is confirmed only after successful OTP verification,” the ministry mentioned.
Officials mentioned the OTP-based initiative is aimed at curbing misuse of the Tatkal ticketing system in addition to making certain that real passengers have higher entry to high-demand tickets. The transfer marks a significant step in direction of enhancing transparency, passenger comfort, and safety in railway ticketing, they added.
The Railway Ministry has launched some measures in current months to guarantee honest entry to ticket reservations for passengers and discourage booking brokers from exploiting the ticketing system for their very own revenue.
In July this yr, the ministry made Aadhaar verification obligatory by way of OTP for on-line ticket reservations below the Tatkal system throughout the nation.
From October 1, the ministry permitted solely Aadhaar-authenticated customers to e book reserved common tickets by way of the IRCTC web site or app in the course of the first quarter-hour after bookings open for any practice.
