Indian Railways is set to introduce mandatory e-Aadhaar authentication for booking tatkal train tickets. The rollout of this new system is expected to begin later this month.
The move aims to curb misuse and scalping of tatkal tickets, thereby increasing the availability of train tickets for genuine passengers under the tatkal quota. By linking bookings with e-Aadhaar verification, authorities hope to ensure a more transparent and fair ticketing process.
Tatkal tickets, which are meant for last-minute travel plans, have often been subject to hoarding and automated bookings by agents using unfair means. The new e-Aadhaar authentication will require passengers to verify their identity digitally at the time of booking, helping Indian Railways to curb fraudulent transactions and make the process more passenger-friendly.
“Indian Railways will soon start using e-Aadhaar authentication to book Tatkal tickets. This will help genuine users get confirmed tickets during need,” Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said.
Typically, passengers can book train tickets up to 60 days in advance, subject to seat availability. Around 20% of all tickets are sold through the Tatkal scheme, which allows bookings a day before the train’s departure, starting at 10:00 AM.
Senior officials said that the implementation of e-Aadhaar authentication for ticket booking is likely to begin later this month. Official data indicates that over half of Tatkal tickets booked online are snapped up within the first 10 minutes of the window opening.
“Account holders who link their accounts with the Aadhaar card will get priority during the first 10 minutes of Tatkal ticket sales,” the officials said. They added that even authorised agents of the Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) would not be permitted to book tickets during this initial 10-minute window.
