IRCTC's New Rule: Aadhaar-Verified Users Only for Train Reservations from Today

From January 12, 2026, only Aadhaar-verified users will be able to book general reserved tickets on the first day of the reservation period on IRCTC. Along with this, the railways have also implemented revised ticket fares according to different categories and distances.

Indian Railways has been continuously making changes over the past few years to make the ticket booking system more transparent and secure. Preventing bot and fraudulent activities in online ticket booking has been a major priority for the Railways and IRCTC. In this direction, Aadhaar-based identification was first implemented for Tatkal tickets and then for general reserved tickets. Now, a new rule has come into effect from January 12, 2026, under which online booking of general reserved tickets on the first day of the advance reservation period will only be done by Aadhaar-authenticated IRCTC users.

What is the Advance Reservation Period?

Reservations open 60 days before the day of the train's journey from the station. The day of travel is not counted in this period, meaning if a train starts its journey on May 1, then March 1 will be the first day to make a reservation. According to the new rule, from January 12, 2026, linking the IRCTC account with Aadhaar will be mandatory to book general reserved tickets on the first day of the advance reservation period. This system will be applicable only for online bookings, so that genuine passengers get priority in the initial period.

Previously Implemented System and Timeline

Before this, from October 1, 2025, only Aadhaar-authenticated users were allowed to book tickets during the first 15 minutes of online booking of general reserved tickets. This rule is applicable on both the IRCTC website and mobile app. Additionally, for authorised railway ticketing agents, the booking halt for the first 10 minutes on the opening day will continue as before. The aim of these arrangements is to ensure that the benefit of ticket booking in the initial period reaches common passengers and the intervention of agents or automated tools is limited.

IRCTC Ticket Fare Hike

Along with the new booking rules, the Railways have also revised ticket fares. For non-suburban journeys, a uniform minimum increase has been made in the fares of Sleeper Class, Ordinary First Class, and General tickets. The fare in these categories has been increased at a rate of one paisa per kilometre. For both non-AC and AC categories in Mail and Express trains, the fare has been increased by two paise per kilometre. Additional charges have also been fixed based on distance, which include an increase of Rs 5 for 216 to 750 kilometres, Rs 10 for 751 to 1250 kilometres, Rs 15 for 1251 to 1750 kilometres, and Rs 20 for 1751 to 2250 kilometres.