How Indian Railways plans to curb fraud with Tatkal booking overhaul

Indian Railways has made Aadhaar verification mandatory for Tatkal bookings to stop bots and scalpers, giving verified passengers priority access

In response to mounting complaints from passengers, the Ministry of Railways is overhauling the Tatkal ticket booking system to enhance speed, fairness, and transparency. Aadhaar verification will be mandatory for all Tatkal bookings starting later this month, aiming to reduce automated scalping and unauthorised access.

 

Tatkal tickets—meant for last-minute travel and released a day before departure—are often bought within seconds by bots or agents, leaving genuine travellers stranded.

 

Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw confirmed that Aadhaar-linked IRCTC accounts will get priority during the first 10 minutes of Tatkal sales. "Even authorised IRCTC agents will not be allowed to book tickets during this window," the Ministry said in a statement.

 

Verified users get priority access

Under the new system, Aadhaar-authenticated users will have a clear advantage. Unverified users will need to wait three days post-registration before being allowed to book Tatkal, Premium Tatkal, or Opening ARP tickets.

 

Railway officials indicated that Aadhaar checks may also be extended to counter-based Tatkal bookings to create parity between online and offline platforms.

Anti-bot tech and system upgrades

To prevent misuse, the Railways has implemented anti-bot measures and partnered with a leading Content Delivery Network (CDN) to improve speed and resilience.

 

Previously, bots accounted for nearly 50 per cent of login attempts during Tatkal hours. But system upgrades and AI-powered monitoring have led to a major drop. Over 25 million suspicious accounts have been deactivated. On May 22, 2025, a record 31,814 Tatkal tickets were booked in just one minute.

 

Daily IRCTC logins rose 20 per cent in FY25 to 8.2 million, while daily bookings grew nearly 12 per cent. Over 86 per cent of reserved tickets are now booked online.

Aadhaar at the centre of a secure system

Earlier, Aadhaar authentication was handled by third-party systems. A recent Gazette notification now enables faster in-house verification. “IRCTC will conduct special verification drives and shut down accounts deemed suspicious,” said an official.

 

Even railway staff—including ticket checkers and train crews—are now covered under Aadhaar-based authentication for internal operations.

Public outrage spurred reform

The changes follow public uproar over IRCTC’s booking glitches, sparked by a viral post from Thyrocare founder Dr A Velumani.

 

“Shocking. If it is true, it is betrayal!!” Velumani posted on X, attaching a screenshot of IRCTC freezing at 10 am during Tatkal bookings. He later suggested hourly load distribution to reduce server stress.

 

His remarks triggered a wave of criticism online, prompting the Railways to fast-track reforms.

Offline cancellations now simpler

In Parliament, the Railway Minister also said that passengers holding physical tickets can now cancel them online via IRCTC or by calling 139. However, refunds will still be issued at reservation counters.

 

Responding to BJP MP Medha Vishram Kulkarni, Vaishnaw clarified that “waitlisted PRS counter tickets must be cancelled in person as per refund rules.”

Faster platform, safer booking

With 87 per cent of IRCTC’s static content now served via CDN, system performance has improved. Passengers are encouraged to report online issues through the Cyber Crime Portal.

 

If you’ve struggled to book Tatkal tickets before, help may be near—just ensure your Aadhaar is linked. In this new regime, identity equals access.