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Railways makes changes in Tatkal ticket booking at reservation counters: Here's what you need to know
The Railways Ministry said that the OTP-based reservation mechanism will be implemented at counters for all the remaining trains in the next few days.
Indian Railways is set to make one-time passwords (OTPs) mandatory for booking Tatkal train tickets from railway reservation counters, a move that officials said aims to curb the misuse of the last-minute ticket booking facility.
Passengers will have to provide a one-time password, received on their mobile phones, to book Tatkal train tickets from railway reservation counters.
The Railway Ministry initiated the OTP-based Tatkal ticketing system for journeys booked from reservation counters on a pilot basis on November 17, news agency PTI reported. The move initially involved just a few trains, and later expanded to 52 trains.
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This reservation mechanism will be implemented at counters for all the remaining trains in the next few days, the ministry said in a statement.
According to the statement, the OTP-based Tatkal ticketing system was proposed to ease the last-minute ticket booking facility for common users.
"Under this system, while booking a Tatkal ticket at a reservation counter, the passenger receives an OTP on the mobile number provided in the reservation form. The ticket is confirmed only after successful OTP verification," the ministry said.
Officials said the OTP-based initiative is aimed at curbing misuse of the Tatkal ticketing system as well as ensuring that genuine passengers have better access to high-demand tickets. The move marks a major step towards enhancing transparency, passenger convenience, and security in railway ticketing, they added.
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The Railway Ministry has introduced some measures in recent months to ensure fair access to ticket reservations for passengers and discourage booking agents from exploiting the ticketing system for their own profit.
In July this year, the ministry made Aadhaar verification mandatory through OTP for online ticket reservations under the Tatkal system across the country.
From October 1, the ministry permitted only Aadhaar-authenticated users to book reserved general tickets through the IRCTC website or app during the first 15 minutes after bookings open for any train.
