The tatkal ticket booking scheme will see multiple key changes being effected from July 1, 2025. The foremost among them is the mandatory Aadhaar requirement. With effect from July 1, tickets under Tatkal scheme can be booked through the website of Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) or its app only by Aadhaar-authenticated users.
Subsequently, Aadhaar-based OTP authentication will be compulsory for Tatkal booking from July 15, 2025.
Tatkal tickets shall be available for booking through computerised PRS counters of the Indian Railways and authorised agents only after authentication of a system-generated OTP, which shall be sent through the system on the mobile number provided by the user at the time of booking. This shall also be implemented by July 15, 2025.
Authorised ticketing agents of Indian Railways shall not be allowed to book opening day Tatkal tickets during the first thirty minutes of the opening of Tatkal booking. This will be applicable for both AC as well as non-AC classes. This means that they shall not be allowed to book opening-day Tatkal tickets between 10 AM and 10:30 AM for air-conditioned classes and from 11 AM to 11:30 AM for non-air-conditioned classes.
The move is expected to curb dummy bookings and streamline the ticketing process. It will also allow more time to individual passengers to book tickets and prevent agents from making bulk bookings at the very outset of the ticketing process.
The Tatkal Scheme is a premium ticket booking service offered by Indian Railways that allows passengers to book train tickets at short notice, typically one day before the journey. It’s designed for last-minute travel needs and is available for both AC and non-AC classes on select trains.
The booking window opens one day prior to the date of the journey, excluding the date of the trip. For AC classes, booking opens at 10:00 AM; for non-AC classes, booking opens at 11:00 AM.
