Railway Rules: From today, railway rules will change, OTP will be required for Tatkal tickets
Indian Railways continuously makes changes for the convenience of passengers and to provide transparent services. Recently, considering the increasing complaints regarding Tatkal ticket bookings, the Railway Board has issued guidelines. Accordingly, Western Railway is bringing a major change to the Tatkal booking system from 01 December 2025. Now, Tatkal tickets will be issued only after successful authentication of a system-generated One Time Password (OTP). This OTP will be sent to the mobile number provided by the passenger at the time of booking, and the ticket will be issued only after its verification.
Western Railway's Chief Public Relations Officer Vineet Abhishek stated through a press release that this OTP-based system will be implemented at midnight on December 1. Initially, this facility will be introduced for train number 12009/12010 Mumbai Central–Ahmedabad Shatabdi Express. This system will be mandatory for instant bookings made through computerized PRS counters, authorized agents, the IRCTC website, and the mobile app. This will make the booking process more secure and transparent, while increasing the chances of genuine passengers getting tickets.
The purpose of this change is to immediately stop misuse of the quota and give priority to genuine passengers. Earlier, due to agents and bulk bookings, it was difficult for regular passengers to get tickets, but with OTP, those with a valid mobile number will benefit. The railway has issued such instructions to all railway boards, and Western Railway has started on an experimental basis. Passengers should register the correct mobile number at the time of booking, otherwise problems may arise. This change is part of the railway's digital improvements, and in the future, it is likely to be extended to other trains as well.
This new rule will benefit millions of passengers every day, especially on the Mumbai-Ahmedabad route. The railway has also guided passengers through social media. Overall, this step will enhance the quality of railway service.