Recently, the Railways has announced several important changes in the Tatkal ticket booking system. Under these new rules, Aadhaar verification will be required for Tatkal ticket booking from July 1, 2025. At the same time, Aadhaar-based OTP verification will be made mandatory for online booking from July 15, 2025.
The biggest thing is that now agents will have to wait to book Tatkal tickets. This simply means that now common people will be able to book Tatkal tickets more easily than agents. Let us know in detail what these new rules are and when will you be able to book Tatkal.
When will you be able to book Tatkal tickets?
Indian Railways has made clear changes in the opening time of the Tatkal booking window and the booking time for agents so that common passengers can get priority.
For AC class:-
General passengers:- Will be able to book from 10 am.
Authorized agents:- Will be able to book from 10:30 am only. (Will not be able to book for the first 30 minutes)
For non-AC class:-
General passengers:- Will be able to book from 11 am.
Authorized agents:- Will be able to book only from 11:30 am. (Will not be able to book for the first 30 minutes)
This means that agents will not be allowed to book for the first half an hour of opening the Tatkal window. Till now, agents had great dominance over Tatkal railway booking, due to which common people had to face a lot of difficulties in booking tickets. This new rule will bring great relief to millions of passengers.
New rules for booking through agents
Indian Railways is committed to increasing transparency in the Tatkal ticket booking system and extending its benefits to real passengers. In this direction, some more important changes will come into effect from July 15, 2025:
Verification of OTP (One Time Password) sent to the mobile number will be mandatory for Tatkal tickets booked through PRS counters (Passenger Reservation System) and authorized agents. This step will ensure that the ticket is being booked for the genuine passenger only.
The Railways has directed CRIS (Centre for Railway Information Systems) and IRCTC (Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation) to implement these changes in their systems and software.
All zonal railways and concerned departments have been informed about these changes so that the new rules can be followed smoothly.
Appeal of Railway Ministry to passengers
The Ministry of Railways has appealed to all passengers to link their IRCTC profile with their Aadhaar. This will help in avoiding any hassle during Tatkal ticket booking in the future. Linking Aadhaar will make the verification process faster and flawless, saving you time and increasing the chances of booking.