The Indian Railways has made an important change to train ticket booking rules. If you plan to book tickets for Diwali or Chhath, you should know these new rules, or you may have trouble getting a confirmed ticket.
The Railways has made Aadhaar mandatory for general reservation tickets too. Now, only users with verified Aadhaar accounts can book tickets online during the first 15 minutes after the booking window opens. Earlier, this rule was only for Tatkal tickets, but now it is for both general and Tatkal bookings.
This rule applies to both the IRCTC website and app. But it does not apply to tickets booked at PRS counters. From October 1, only verified Aadhaar accounts will get priority for general bookings. During the first 15 minutes, users without verified Aadhaar cannot book tickets.
Why Was This Rule Changed?
The Indian Railways made this change to stop irregularities in ticket booking and make sure tickets go only to verified users. By allowing only Aadhaar-authenticated users to book tickets in the first 15 minutes, the Railways wants to make the process fair and transparent. It also aims to reduce bulk bookings.
What Did the Railway Circular Say?
The Indian Railway Board said that Aadhaar authentication is needed to make sure the reservation system benefits real users and to stop misuse by ticket touts. From October 1, only Aadhaar-verified users can book general reserved tickets on the IRCTC website or app during the first 15 minutes of booking.
This rule has already been used for Tatkal tickets since July. Since then, booking Tatkal tickets has become simpler, and confirmed tickets are easier to get.