Aiming to make emergency travel easy for the passengers and check touts at ticket booking counters, Indian Railways will reduce the advance reservation period for Tatkal tickets from 48 hours to 24 hours and will not pay refunds on confirmed tickets from Monday.
According to a release from the railways, among the other steps being taken by the national transporter to control touts include not issuing duplicate Tatkal tickets, giving Tatkal ticket only to people carrying identity proof, and restricting the booking of tickets between 8 am and 10 am.
The new system will allow booking of only 4 passengers on a Tatkal ticket.
Tatkal tickets will only be issued on production of one of the eight prescribed proofs of identity, said officials, adding that it will ultimately be linked with Aadhaar, the unique identification number being provided to the citizens by the government.
"Tatkal is a facility for emergency travel. It is meant for unplanned travel. But we have reports touts are misusing it by blocking berths," railway minister Dinesh Trivedi had told reporters recently.