Railways Makes Aadhaar Mandatory for First 15 Minutes of Ticket Booking from Oct 1
If you’ve ever tried to book a train ticket online right when bookings open, you know it can feel like a race against thousands of others. Well, Indian Railways is changing the rules of that race in a big way to make it fairer for everyday passengers.
Starting October 1st, 2025, there’s a new rule for booking general reserved tickets on the IRCTC website or app. For the first 15 minutes after bookings open, only passengers who have verified their account using Aadhaar will be able to secure a ticket.
The idea behind this move is pretty straightforward: to stop scalpers and automated bots from snatching up all the tickets the second the virtual booking window opens. By requiring Aadhaar authentication, officials hope to ensure that real people, not unauthorized software or agents, get the first shot at booking their travel.
It’s important to note what isn’t changing. If you prefer to book your tickets the old-fashioned way at a station counter, you can breathe easy. The rules and timings for those computerized PRS counters remain the same.
Additionally, a related existing rule will stay in place. Authorized ticketing agents for Indian Railways are already blocked from booking these opening-day tickets for the first 10 minutes. This new 15-minute Aadhaar rule for online bookings works alongside that existing restriction.
In short, if you want to book online in that crucial first 15-minute window after October 1st, make sure your IRCTC account is linked and verified with your Aadhaar details beforehand.
