Railway Ticket Booking New Rules 2025:Indian Railway will put in place new rules for the booking of train tickets as of August 1, 2025 to make processes transparent, to check fraud, and to better the convenience of the passenger. These changes pertaining to ticketing will be made on both IRCTC platforms as well as on ticket counters; hence, every traveler must remain aware of these changes.
1. Aadhaar Verification Becomes Mandatory for Frequent Travelers.
Passers booking more than 12 tickets per month via IRCTC will now have to link their Aadhaar number with their IRCTC account to avoid cases of fraudulent or illegal bulk booking. For passengers booking up to 6 tickets per month, it will remain optional.
2. OTP Login for Ticket Booking
For greater security, the IRCTC is providing for OTP-based login authentication for every booking session. This will be applicable to all users—regular and Tatkal—to ensure they are genuine passengers making bookings while ensuring bots and agents do not misuse the platform.
3. Tatkal Booking Window to Slightly Amended
Timings of Tatkal bookings for AC and Non-AC tickets have been altered, to give an added space for smooth operations:
- Bookings for AC Class start from 10 a.m. (one day before the journey).
- Bookings for Sleeper class start from 11 a.m. (one day before the journey).*
This slight change in timings may bring reduction in peak load on servers and hence better experience for users.
4. An Upgraded Refund Policy for Waitlisted E-Tickets
Indian Railways has imposed some changes in the refund procedure for waitlisted e-tickets. In cases where an online waitlisted ticket does not get confirmed or to RAC status, the refund will automatically be credited to the bank account of the user without the user ever having to initiate the cancellation procedure.
Why These Points Are Important
That way, these rules have become an integral part of the entire Indian Railways’ framework towards upgrading the railway ticketing system for fair access to it and thereby preventing any malpractices. They work for giving a secure, fast, and user-friendly ticketing platform for regular travelers, especially for families who have been planning trips ahead of time.
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