Surat. Indian Railways has made a major change in the ticket booking process for train passengers. The rule that previously applied only to tatkal tickets will now also apply to general reserved tickets starting October 1.
According to the new provision, only passengers who have completed Aadhaar verification will be able to book tickets during the first 15 minutes after reservations open. This facility will apply to both the IRCTC website and mobile app. Railways believes this step will bring transparency to ticket booking and curb illegal activities by brokers.
According to officials, this rule will directly benefit needy passengers as they will have a higher chance of getting tickets during the initial period. Until now, brokers used to book large numbers of tickets, causing difficulties for common passengers.
Railways has clarified that the new rule will apply only to online bookings. The process will remain the same for those taking tickets from computerized PRS counters. Meanwhile, the existing 10-minute rule for authorized ticket agents will continue.
