What’s inside:
Indian Railways has introduced a new rule for booking tickets online, requiring users to link their Aadhaar with their IRCTC accounts.
Indian Railways has brought in a new rule for booking train tickets online. This rule started from January 5 and aims to make the ticket booking process clearer and to stop middlemen from taking advantage of it.
The main change is that if your IRCTC app is not linked to your Aadhaar, you won’t be able to book reserved tickets from 8 am to 4 pm. This restriction will apply on the first day tickets are available for booking, which opens 60 days before the train’s departure.
For those without an Aadhaar link, ticket booking will be restricted based on a phased approach. Initially, booking was not allowed from 8 am to 12 noon starting December 29. Now, the timing has extended to 8 am to 4 pm, and from January 12, booking will be completely banned from 8 am to midnight.
Railways aims to help more regular passengers get tickets during the initial booking hours and prevent fake accounts from booking tickets. Even ticket agents will face restrictions during this time.
If your IRCTC account isn’t linked to Aadhaar, you will need to do that soon. While booking, an OTP will be sent to your registered mobile number for ticket confirmation. For help, you can contact the IRCTC helpline at 139 or UIDAI at 1947.
Summary:
- New rules for online ticket booking started on January 5.
- Linking Aadhaar to IRCTC is now mandatory for booking tickets.
- Booking restrictions apply from 8 am to 4 pm for those without Aadhaar link.
- Phased implementation will lead to complete restrictions from January 12.
- For assistance, contact the IRCTC helpline or UIDAI.
