Mukul blames demand-supply gap for Tatkal problem

As per the new measures, Tatkal bookings would start at 10 am instead of 8 am from July 10 while Railways is also considering separate Tatkal counters. Booking clerks have also been barred from carrying mobile phones inside the counters during duty hours.

"There have been complaints related to Tatkal tickets... We have taken some steps to address the problem," Roy told reporters here on the sidelines of a function.

"The Railways operates 11,000 trains per day on 64,000 route km. There is a mismatch in the demand-supply... The system is overburdened," Roy added.

At present, Tatkal scheme is available in 2677 trains which translates to around 1.71 lakh berths. In 2011-12, earning from the scheme stood at Rs 847 crore.

Roy said that the e-ticketing facility has made buying tickets much easier for the passengers but the carrying capacity have not matched pace with the development.

The Railways also decided that no authorised agents, including that of the Indian Railways Catering and Tourism Corporation, will be allowed to book Tatkal tickets from 10 am to 12 noon, in an attempt to curb the activity of touts.