The Indian Railways has made Aadhaar authentication mandatory for passengers booking train tickets on the IRCTC website and mobile app between 8 am and 10 am, a move aimed at curbing fraudulent bookings and ensuring fairer access to tickets during peak hours. The new rule took effect on October 28, 2025. Advertisement

Why the morning slot matters

The two-hour window between 8 am and 10 am is among the busiest periods for online reservations, with high competition for seats on popular trains. To prevent misuse through automated software, multiple logins, or agent manipulation, IRCTC has restricted this window exclusively to Aadhaar-verified users.

Travellers who have not yet linked their Aadhaar can still book tickets before 8 am or after 10 am without restriction. The change applies on

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