Indian Railways Goes Digital First: Big Update in Ticketing Rules and Technology
Waitlisted Passengers to Get Earlier Clarity; Tatkal Booking Rules Also Revised
Indian Railways to Launch Advanced Ticketing System by December 2025
Stricter Verification from July 1 to Curb Agents and Ensure Fair Access
New Delhi: 30 June 2025
Indian Railways is introducing a major reform to passenger convenience and transparency by moving the preparation of reservation charts to eight hours prior to train departure instead of the current four. This should provide much relief to waitlisted passengers who are unsure about their ticket status right until the very end.
The Railway Minister Reviews the Changes
Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw recently reviewed the new reservation scheme, approving important reforms to modernize the ticketing process to be more tech-driven and passenger-friendly. The new system is hoped to be fully introduced by December 2025.
Tatkal Booking Regulations Are Also Changing
Changes are also being made to the Tatkal ticketing scheme. Departure stations of trains closing before 2 p.m. will finalize the reservation chart by 9 p.m. the previous night to allow waitlisted passengers clarity earlier and to make alternate plans if required. Approval for the proposal has already been granted by the minister.
High-Capacity Reservation System in the Works
The new reservation system is being developed by the Centre for Information Systems and will have a capacity that is ten times greater than the current system. The ticket booking capacity will increase from 32,000 tickets per minute to 150,000per minute, and the inquiry handling capacity will increase from 400,000 to 4,000,000 per minute.
Passengers will also enjoy new features such as
Selecting preferred seats
Filling reservation forms in a variety of Indian languages
Checking fare calendars
Special provisions are also being made for the differently abled, students, and patients.
Stricter Tatkal Booking Rules to Prevent Fraud
Starting July 1, a new set of rules will crack down on misuse of the Tatkal booking system. Indian Railways to allow Tatkal bookings only for authenticated users. Registration on IRCTC’s website or app will be mandatory, and by the end of July, an OTP-based verification system will also be introduced.
Passengers will need to authenticate their identity through Aadhaar or other valid government ID linked via DigiLocker. The railway minister has instructed officials to ensure that the verification process is strict yet user-friendly, aiming to eliminate fraudulent bookings and protect genuine passengers.
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