IRCT: Indian Railways has made a major change to the rules for online ticket booking. Starting October 28, 2025, Aadhaar authentication will be mandatory for passengers booking reserved train tickets between 8:00 AM and 10:00 AM. This decision was taken to prevent fraudulent train ticket booking and the practice of booking multiple tickets simultaneously.
Now only Aadhaar verified users will be able to book tickets.
The Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) stated on its website that starting October 28, 2025, only Aadhaar-verified users will be able to book reserved tickets between 8 AM and 10 AM every day. This time slot is the busiest time for train ticket booking, when tickets for popular trains are sold out within minutes of opening.
Due to the high demand for tickets during these two hours, complaints often arise about fraudulent ticket bookings by automated booking software or agents. Under the new rule, only Aadhaar-verified users are allowed to book tickets. By doing this, the Railways aims to prevent irregularities in train booking.
During the remaining time, normal users will also be able to make bookings.
IRCTC has clearly stated that Aadhaar authentication will not be required for ticket bookings after 10 AM or at night. This means that any user can book tickets using their account using the old method during other times. However, on the first day of reservations, the time slot from 8 AM to 10 AM will be exclusively for Aadhaar-verified users.
If you have not linked Aadhaar then link it like this
If you have not yet linked your IRCTC account with Aadhaar, it can be done online instantly.
Complete the process like this
Log on to www.irctc.co.in.
Go to the My Account tab and select the Authenticate User option.
Enter your Aadhaar number or Virtual ID. The screen will display your name, date of birth, and gender. Make sure they match your Aadhaar card.
Click on Verify details and receive OTP.
An OTP will come on the mobile number linked to your Aadhaar.
Enter OTP and submit.
After this your Aadhaar authentication process will be completed and Successfully Authenticated message will appear on the screen.
New rules for general ticket reservations
According to the new IRCTC guidelines, starting October 1, 2025, only Aadhaar-verified users will be allowed to book tickets within the first 15 minutes of general reservation ticket booking. This means that general users will not be able to book tickets for the first 15 minutes after ticket booking opens in the morning.
No change in offline bookings
The Railways clarified that this rule applies only to online bookings (IRCTC website and app). There are no changes to booking times for those booking tickets at PRS (Passenger Reservation System) counters or through railway agents.
Aadhaar verification is already applicable on Tatkal tickets.
Earlier, the Railways had made Aadhaar authentication mandatory for online Tatkal ticket bookings from July 1, 2025. Furthermore, an OTP-based verification process has been introduced for Tatkal ticket bookings through PRS counters and authorized railway agents from July 15, 2025. Now, when booking every Tatkal ticket, the user has to complete authentication using an OTP sent to their mobile number.
