New Delhi: Indian Railways has introduced a major change in how general reservation tickets are booked online. From October 1, 2025, passengers using the IRCTC website or mobile app will be required to complete Aadhaar authentication during the first 15 minutes of the ticket booking window. This means that anyone trying to book a general ticket as soon as the booking opens will need to verify their identity using their Aadhaar number before proceeding.
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Why Aadhaar Authentication is Being Enforced
According to the Ministry of Railways, this step has been taken to improve the fairness and transparency of the booking system. Many times, genuine passengers fail to get tickets because of misuse by agents or automated bots that block tickets in bulk. By requiring Aadhaar authentication, the railway authorities hope to ensure that only real, verified users can access the booking system during the most in-demand period. This move is expected to reduce fake bookings and allow more real passengers to secure tickets easily.
Offline Booking Remains Unchanged
It is important to note that this new rule will only affect online bookings done through IRCTC’s official platforms — the website and mobile app. There will be no changes in the process of booking tickets from railway station counters, also known as PRS (Passenger Reservation System) counters. Passengers who prefer booking tickets offline can continue doing so without Aadhaar verification.
Ticket Agents Still Restricted in First 10 Minutes
For authorised railway ticketing agents, the earlier rule still applies. They cannot book tickets during the first 10 minutes after booking opens. This restriction has been in place to prevent bulk or unfair bookings and will remain the same even after the new Aadhaar rule comes into effect. So, agents will still have to wait before they can start booking general tickets for passengers.
Tatkal Ticket Booking Already Changed from July 1
This is not the first time Aadhaar has been made mandatory for ticket booking. From July 1, 2025, Indian Railways had already implemented a similar rule for Tatkal ticket bookings. Under that rule, both individual users and agents must complete Aadhaar authentication to book Tatkal tickets on the IRCTC platform. Moreover, agents are not allowed to book Tatkal tickets during the first 30 minutes after bookings open. This earlier change was made for similar reasons — to stop misuse and to give genuine users a fair chance.
How This Rule Helps Passengers
The new Aadhaar verification rule is expected to make the online booking process more secure and smoother. It will help reduce fraudulent bookings, prevent tickets from being hoarded in the first few minutes, and give real passengers a better chance to book tickets — especially during high-demand travel periods. Indian Railways believes this is a big step towards building a more transparent and passenger-friendly ticketing system.
If you're planning to book a train ticket online after October 1, make sure your Aadhaar is linked and ready for authentication. This simple step could help you avoid last-minute trouble and increase your chances of getting a confirmed seat.
