Tatkal Ticket New Rule December 1: 5 Important Changes With OTP Verification You Must Know

If you travel by booking Tatkal train tickets, then this is important news for you. New rules for Tatkal ticket booking have come into effect today, December 1st. You will now need an OTP to book Tatkal tickets, only then will you be able to complete the ticket booking process. Currently, Western Railway has implemented this new rule on select trains; it will later be implemented across all railway zones. Western Railway shared information about this new rule on its official X account.

Tatkal Ticket New Rule Effective From December 1

• As per the Railway Board's directive, Western Railway has made changes to the Tatkal ticket booking process. Under this new rule, passengers will be able to complete the ticket booking process only after verifying the OTP (one-time password) sent by the system during ticket booking.
• This OTP will be sent to the number provided by the passenger during ticket booking.
• Only after verification of the OTP will the ticket booking be confirmed.
• Therefore, provide a valid number when booking tickets to receive the OTP.
• This rule will be implemented for the Mumbai Central-Ahmedabad Shatabdi Express from today.

How the New Tatkal OTP Verification System Works

This new railway rule is very simple. Passengers will not face any problems. Under this new rule, as soon as a passenger enters their mobile number for Tatkal ticket booking, the railway system will send an OTP to that number. The passenger will then have to enter the OTP. Once the OTP is entered, the booking process will proceed and the ticket will be confirmed.

Platforms Where the New OTP Rule Will Apply

IRCTC Website & Mobile App: This new railway rule will be implemented on all booking platforms, from the IRCTC website to the IRCTC mobile app,

PRS Counters & Authorized Agents: computerized PRS counters, and authorized railway agents. This means that whether you book a ticket online or at an offline counter, you will have to follow the OTP verification process.

Why was the new rule introduced?

The railway believes that this new rule will bring transparency to Tatkal bookings and benefit passengers who truly need tickets immediately. Additionally, this new rule will put a stop to the malpractices of Tatkal ticket booking.

In fact, for some time now, there have been numerous complaints about Tatkal ticket booking, that as soon as the booking slots opened, all tickets were booked within minutes.

For their own benefit, some brokers and agents would book large numbers of tickets simultaneously, preventing ordinary passengers from getting tickets.

To prevent such ticket fraud, the Railway Board has implemented an OTP-based Tatkal ticketing system.

This will now send an OTP to the passenger during ticket booking, only after which the ticket will be booked. Furthermore, multiple tickets cannot be booked using the same number.

Which Trains Are Affected Initially?

According to Vineet Abhishek, Chief Public Relations Officer of Western Railway, the OTP-based Tatkal ticket authentication system will be implemented from midnight of December 1, 2025. Initially, this system will be implemented on trains number 12009 and 12010 Mumbai Central-Ahmedabad Shatabdi Express. He stated that after the success of the Shatabdi Express, this rule will be implemented on other trains in a phased manner.

The new OTP system for Tat kal ticket booking will be implemented across all modes, including fully computerized PRS counters, authorized agents, the IRCTC website, and mobile app. Indian Railways believes that this will make the Tatkal ticket booking process more transparent and facilitate ticket availability for genuine passengers. The introduction of this system will curb fraudulent practices in Tatkal ticket booking.