Aadhaar Needed to Book IRCTC Train Tickets First 15 Minutes from Oct 1

Post by : Meena Rani

From October 1, 2025, a new rule will come into effect for people booking train tickets online in India. The change is connected with the first 15 minutes after the ticket booking window opens on the Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) website and app.

According to the new system, during these first 15 minutes, only those passengers who have their IRCTC account linked with Aadhaar and completed Aadhaar authentication will be able to book tickets. This rule will apply to all general reserved tickets.

This move is one of the biggest changes in the ticket booking system in recent years. Earlier, Aadhaar verification was made compulsory only for Tatkal ticket bookings, but now the condition will cover even general reservation bookings for the first 15 minutes.

How the New Rule Works

• Suppose the booking for a train opens at 10:00 am. From 10:00 to 10:15 am, only Aadhaar-verified users can log in and book tickets.

• Passengers without Aadhaar verification will not be able to book tickets during this window. They will have to wait till 10:16 am onwards, when the system will open for everyone.

• This rule will apply across all trains in India, and for all general reserved tickets.

Why the Change Was Made

Indian Railways introduced this new rule to make the booking system fairer and safer for ordinary travellers. For years, passengers have faced difficulties in booking tickets online because:

• Misuse of Technology by Agents

• Many illegal agents and touts use software or bots to grab large numbers of tickets as soon as the booking window opens. Normal travellers often lose the chance to get tickets, especially on popular routes.

• Tickets Selling Out Within Minutes

• On many routes, train seats sell out within just 10 minutes of opening. This creates frustration among genuine travellers who try to book honestly but fail.

• Ensuring Real Identity

• Aadhaar verification helps Railways confirm that a person booking tickets is a real user with a genuine identity, not a fake account created for black-marketing.

By bringing Aadhaar into the early booking window, the Railways hopes to give honest, genuine passengers a fair chance at getting their tickets.

What Remains the Same

Even though Aadhaar verification is now mandatory for the first 15 minutes, some things will not change:

• PRS Counter Booking: People can still go to Passenger Reservation System (PRS) counters at railway stations to book tickets. There is no Aadhaar restriction for these bookings.

• Authorized Agents: For years, agents have not been allowed to book tickets during the first 10 minutes of the opening window. This rule will continue even after October 1.

• Tatkal Booking: Aadhaar was already required for Tatkal tickets. That rule continues unchanged.

What Passengers Need to Do

If you are a regular train traveller, here are some steps you should take before October 1:

1. Link Aadhaar to Your IRCTC Account

2. Log in to your IRCTC account and complete the Aadhaar verification process. This usually involves entering your Aadhaar number and confirming with an OTP sent to your registered mobile number.

3. Check Aadhaar Details

4. Make sure your name, date of birth, and gender on Aadhaar match the details on your IRCTC profile. Otherwise, verification may fail.

5. Be Ready Before Booking Opens

6. If you want a confirmed ticket, log in a few minutes before the booking window opens, especially if you are travelling on busy routes.

7. Offline Option

8. If you cannot link Aadhaar or face trouble online, you can always book your tickets directly at the railway station counters.

Concerns Raised by Passengers

While the Railways believes this step will improve fairness, some passengers have expressed concerns:

• Will It Really Help?

• Many travellers point out that tickets for popular trains are sold out within 10 minutes. Since Aadhaar users will dominate this window, non-Aadhaar users may find it even harder to book.

• Exclusion of Non-Aadhaar Users

• Not everyone has linked Aadhaar to their IRCTC account. Some worry this new system may leave many passengers confused or unable to book tickets quickly.

• Technical Challenges

• People also wonder whether IRCTC’s servers can handle the added load of Aadhaar authentication during peak times. If the website slows down, the purpose of fairness may not be achieved.

Why the Railways are Confident

Despite these concerns, officials believe this system will reduce black-market and misuse. By making Aadhaar mandatory in the critical first 15 minutes, the Railways expects:

• Fewer chances for touts and agents to grab bulk tickets.

• A more transparent and accountable booking process.

• Increased trust among passengers that the booking is being done fairly.

This step is part of Indian Railways’ larger plan to digitize and secure ticket booking. Over the past few years, IRCTC has:

• Made Aadhaar mandatory for Tatkal bookings.

• Introduced digital payment options like UPI and e-wallets.

• Started AI-based monitoring to catch illegal agents.

• Strengthened OTP-based login for passenger accounts.

The October 1 change is another move in this direction.

From October 1, only Aadhaar-verified IRCTC users will be allowed to book general reserved train tickets in the first 15 minutes after booking opens. This change is meant to protect genuine travellers and reduce unfair practices in ticket booking.

Passengers are advised to link their Aadhaar before the deadline so they don’t face problems while booking. At the same time, offline booking at counters will continue as usual.

The step has raised some debates, but the Railways is firm that this measure will make train travel more convenient and fair for millions of passengers across the country.

Aadhaar verification, IRCTC rules, train ticket booking, Indian Railways