Indian Railway General Reservation New Rules: Indian Railways is going to make a big change in the online ticket booking system from October 1. Now, just like Tatkal tickets, e-Aadhaar verification will be necessary while booking general reservation tickets. The Ministry of Railways has issued a notification of the new rule. In the first 15 minutes, only those people will be able to book tickets who have done e-Aadhaar verification. This will curb ticket brokerage. Common man will be able to get tickets easily.

In the information issued by the Railways, it has been told that to make the benefit of the reservation system reach the common users first, it has been decided that from October 1, during the first 15 minutes of opening of general reservation, reserved general tickets will be booked only by Aadhaar authenticated users through IRCTC website or its app.

The Ministry of Railways has given this information by issuing a notification. According to the Ministry, Aadhaar verification will be necessary to book tickets in the first 15 minutes of opening of general reservation on IRCTC website or app. This will curb fake IDs, black marketing of tickets by agents and booking by bots.

If your IRCTC account is already linked to Aadhaar, then booking will be easy. Waiting will be less, and tickets will be confirmed quickly. The old schedule for booking general reservation tickets at the computerized PRS counters of the railways will remain the same. Also, the 10-minute restriction on ticket booking on the first day for authorized ticketing agents of the railways will also continue without any change.

What is said in the order?

The Railway Board issued an order in this matter on Monday. He said that a decision has been taken to ensure that the benefits of the reservation system reach the common user and it is not misused by ticket brokers. From October 1, 2025, during the first 15 minutes of opening of general reservation, only Aadhaar-authenticated users will be able to book reserved general tickets through the website / app of Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC). While there will be no change in the timing of booking general reserved tickets through computerized PRS counters of Indian Railways, this new rule comes after the Railways has made Aadhaar card mandatory for Tatkal tickets from July 1. From July 1, 2025, it has become necessary to provide Aadhaar card to book Tatkal tickets. This rule will be applicable on IRCTC website and app only.

Effect in festival and wedding season

Major festivals like Diwali, Chhath Puja and Holi as well as wedding season see a huge increase in demand for train tickets, especially when the booking window opens 60 days before the date of travel. This creates tough competition among passengers trying to get tickets through general booking, similar to the rush seen during Tatkal booking. The new Aadhaar-based rule is expected to make the booking process more transparent and reduce fraudulent bookings during these busy times.

What passengers need to do

Passengers are advised to link their Aadhaar numbers to their IRCTC accounts before October 1 to avoid inconvenience. The general reservation booking window is open from 12:20 am to 11:45 pm daily and booking starts 60 days before the travel date. The new rule will be applicable especially in the first 15 minutes of the booking window, when the demand for tickets is the highest.