Daijiworld Media Network - New Delhi

New Delhi, Sep 17: Indian Railways has announced a significant change in its online ticketing system, making Aadhaar verification mandatory for booking reserved tickets during the first 15 minutes of opening. The rule will take effect on October 1, the Ministry of Railways has confirmed.

The new measure will apply exclusively to bookings made through the IRCTC website and mobile app. Only passengers who have completed Aadhaar authentication will be able to secure tickets during this critical window, when demand is usually the highest.

Railway officials explained that the step is aimed at curbing the rampant misuse of the system by touts and agents who often block bulk tickets as soon as reservations open. The reform, they said, will give priority access to genuine passengers.

The ministry clarified that the process for booking tickets at Passenger Reservation System (PRS) counters remains unchanged. Likewise, the existing 10-minute restriction on authorised agents booking tickets after opening time will continue.

This move forms part of a broader overhaul of the Railways’ reservation system. In June, the ministry had advanced the preparation of reservation charts from 4 hours to 8 hours before train departure, offering passengers on waitlist more certainty and time to make alternate travel arrangements.

Work is also underway to modernise the Passenger Reservation System (PRS), developed by the Centre for Railway Information Systems (CRIS). The upgraded system will have the capacity to process 1.5 lakh tickets per minute and handle over 40 lakh enquiries per minute—ten times the current load.

With Aadhaar-linked bookings and enhanced digital infrastructure, the Railways hopes to make its services more transparent, fair, and passenger-friendly.