Tatkal Tickets Now Need OTP at Rail Counters
Officials stated the initiative is aimed at curbing misuse of the Tatkal facility and ensuring that genuine passengers have better access to high-demand tickets
New Delhi, Hyderabad: Aiming to curb misuse of last-minute ticket bookings, passengers will now be required to authenticate their identity through a one-time password (OTP) received on their mobile phones when booking Tatkal train tickets at railway reservation counters.
The railway binistry launched the OTP-based tatkal ticketing system on a pilot basis on November 17. Initially introduced for a few trains, the system has now been expanded to 52 trains. The ministry said the system will be implemented for all remaining trains in the coming days. In a statement, it noted that the OTP-based reservation process is intended to make Tatkal booking more transparent, secure and convenient for passengers.
“Under this system, while booking a tatkal ticket at a reservation counter, the passenger receives an OTP on the mobile number provided in the reservation form. The ticket is confirmed only after successful OTP verification,” the ministry said.
In July, Aadhaar-based OTP verification was made mandatory for online tatkal ticket bookings nationwide. From October 1, only Aadhaar-authenticated users were permitted to book reserved general tickets through the IRCTC website or app during the first 15 minutes after bookings open for any train.
A senior railway official said the initiative aims to prevent misuse of the Tatkal facility and ensure that genuine passengers have fair access to high-demand tickets. Over the past few months, the ministry has introduced several measures to ensure fair access to reservations and discourage agents from exploiting the system.
