Indian Railways Makes OTP Verification Mandatory For Tatkal Ticket Booking

Indian Railways has introduced a new security feature for Tatkal ticket bookings. Travellers will now be issued tickets only after the verification of a One-Time Password (OTP) sent to the passenger's mobile number. This OTP verification system will be implemented on December 1. "There is an important modification in the Tatkal booking system in accordance with the guidelines issued by the Railway Board. Tatkal tickets will now be issued only after authentication of a system-generated One Time Password (OTP). This OTP will be sent to the mobile number furnished by the passenger at the time of booking, and the ticket will be issued only after successful validation of the OTP," Western Railway said in a statement.

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In the first phase, the OTP-based Tatkal authentication system will be implemented in Train No. 12009/12010, the Mumbai Central-Ahmedabad Shatabdi Express. It will later be extended to other trains across the network.

This new system will be applicable across all booking channels, including the IRCTC website, mobile app and railway counters. According to officials, the objective of this change is to ensure transparent Tatkal bookings and provide genuine passengers with better access to Tatkal tickets.

पश्चिम रेलवे द्वारा रेलवे बोर्ड के निर्देशानुसार तत्काल बुकिंग प्रणाली में एक महत्वपूर्ण बदलाव लागू किया जा रहा है। अब तत्काल टिकट केवल सिस्टम द्वारा भेजे गए वन टाइम पासवर्ड (OTP) के सत्यापन के बाद ही जारी किए जाएंगे।

यह ओटीपी उस मोबाइल नंबर पर भेजा जाएगा, जो यात्री द्वारा… pic.twitter.com/Sm6qWCcldc

— Western Railway (@WesternRly) November 29, 2025

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How To Book Tatakal Ticket I Tatkal Booking Rules For 2025 

To book Tatkal tickets, simply log in to the IRCTC website or any other authorised platform and follow these steps:

1. Log in to your IRCTC account before the booking time to avoid last-minute hassles.
2. Fill in your source and destination stations, along with the journey date.
3. Choose the 'Tatkal' option in the search form, search for available trains and select your preferred option.
4. Enter passenger information such as name, age, gender, etc. You can use the "master list" feature to save your details for future bookings.
5. Complete the transaction quickly using net banking, credit/debit cards, or payment wallets.

As per IRCTC's update effective October 28, 2025, Aadhaar authentication is now mandatory for booking tickets between 8 am and 10 am on the first day of reservation opening. Non-Aadhaar verified users can book tickets outside these hours.