Railways plans to start OTP-based window tickets in tatkal
The Statesman | 4 December 2025
Aiming to curb misuse of the tatkal ticketing facility, the railways is planning to implement a one-time-password based window tickets in the next few days.
Earlier in July, the railways announced key modifications in the tatkal ticket booking system. aimed at enhancing user authentication and reducing misuse of the scheme. The Railways made Aadhaar mandatory for tatkal ticket booking to prevent fraudulent attempts and make the facility more usable and accessible to common users. With this system in place, tatkal tickets booked through IRCTC’s official website and mobile app were made available only to users authenticated with Aadhaar. After introducing the Aadhaar-based authentication for online Tatkal ticketing in July in the first step, the railways launched an OTP-based online reservation system for all general reservations on the first day of booking in October.
Later, the railways initiated a pilot project for an OTP-based tatkal reservation system for tickets booked at reservation counters on 17 November. According to the data received from the railways, as of now, the system has been extended to a total of 52 trains. Under this system, when 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.
After the experimentation, the OTP based tatkal reservation system at counters is to be implemented for all remaining trains by the railways in the next few days. As learnt from the Railway sources, the initiative is aimed at curbing misuse of the tatkal facility and ensuring that genuine passengers have better access to high-demand tickets.