The Railways has now implemented an OTP-based authentication system for Tatkal tickets purchased over the counter. This means you will now be required to provide your mobile number and share the OTP at the counter as well. The Railways has taken this visionary step to prevent the misuse of Tatkal tickets and to make the entire booking process completely transparent and secure. Find out when this new rule will come into effect and how it will work.
Why has OTP been made mandatory at the reservation counter
The Railways has taken this unprecedented step to prevent misuse of Tatkal tickets. There have been long-standing complaints that touts and unauthorized agents illegally book large numbers of Tatkal tickets over the counter, depriving needy passengers of tickets.
A senior railway official has clarified in a report that this OTP system is being implemented on all trains. This will ensure that only genuine and needy passengers receive tickets. This step will make the railway ticketing system more transparent, secure, and convenient.
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The pilot began with 52 trains
Before implementing this new and important rule on a larger scale, Indian Railways tested its success. Starting November 17, 2025, the Railways began pilot testing the OTP system for Tatkal tickets booked at reservation counters.
This pilot phase was implemented on 52 selected trains. Following the success of this pilot phase, the Railways is now making vigorous preparations to implement this security system on all trains fully.
How will counter bookings work under the new system
Once the new rule is implemented, an additional security step will be added to the process of booking Tatkal tickets at the reservation counter. This process will be as follows:
Passengers booking Tatkal tickets must clearly enter their current and active mobile number on their reservation form.
As soon as the counter staff enters your booking details, a one-time password (OTP) will be sent to your provided mobile number.
The passenger must share this OTP with the counter staff. Only after the OTP is verified correctly will the ticket booking process proceed and the ticket be issued.
This simple yet powerful process will keep fraudsters out and allow only authentic transactions.
Online Tatkal Ticket Booking
Travellers who need to book Tatkal tickets online also have some time-saving and powerful methods. Tatkal booking opens at 10:00 am for AC classes and at 11:00 am for non-AC classes. You must log in to the official IRCTC website/app just before this time.
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You can save passenger details such as name, age, and gender in advance using the “Master List” feature in your IRCTC account. This saves valuable time when booking. Furthermore, by entering the source station, destination station, and travel date, and selecting the ‘Tatkal’ quota option, you can search for available trains and quickly select your preferred train.