After numerous complaints from frustrated users struggling to book Tatkal tickets, the Indian government is finally taking action with a major revamp. Indian Railways is preparing for a significant digital upgrade to make Tatkal ticket booking faster, fairer, and free from fraud. Starting later this month, e-Aadhaar authentication will be mandatory for all Tatkal bookings to curb scalping, prevent bot misuse, and ease last-minute travel for genuine passengers. Tatkal tickets, available just one day before departure, have long been targeted by agents and bots who grab them within seconds—leaving real travelers disappointed. But that is about to change.
No Aadhaar, No Tatkal
Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw announced that soon, passengers booking Tatkal tickets will have to verify their identity using e-Aadhaar at the time of booking. Users who link their IRCTC accounts with Aadhaar will get priority access during the first 10 minutes of Tatkal ticket sales, a period when even authorized agents will not be allowed to book tickets.
Additionally, unverified users will need to wait three days after registration before they can book ARP, Tatkal, or Premium Tatkal tickets, giving Aadhaar-authenticated users a clear advantage.
Railway officials also confirmed that Aadhaar verification may soon be required for counter-based Tatkal bookings, ensuring a fair system across both online and offline platforms.
Bots blocked, users unlocked
The Ministry of Railways has introduced anti-BOT systems and partnered with a leading Content Delivery Network (CDN) to improve website performance and stop automated ticket hoarding. Earlier, bots accounted for up to 50% of login attempts during Tatkal hours, but these upgrades have significantly reduced that number.
So far, 2.5 crore suspicious user IDs have been deactivated, and AI-driven tools continue to detect and block bot activity. The results are impressive: on May 22, 2025, Indian Railways set a new record by booking 31,814 tickets in just one minute.
The improvements are already showing positive effects. Daily user logins rose nearly 20% in FY 2024-25, reaching 82.57 lakh, while daily ticket bookings grew by 11.85%. E-ticketing now makes up over 86% of all reserved tickets.
A faster, fairer future for rail passengers
With 87% of static content now served via CDN for faster load times and reduced server strain, the IRCTC platform is more robust than ever. Railways is also encouraging users to report issues via the Cyber Crime Portal, making passenger safety and fairness a top priority.
If you’ve had trouble booking Tatkal tickets before, things are about to get easier. Just make sure your Aadhaar is linked and ready—because in the new Indian Railways system, your ID is your key to securing a ticket.