Representative image showing trains.
Credit: PTI Photo
New Delhi: The Indian Railways will introduce mandatory e-Aadhaar authentication for booking tatkal tickets.
In a social media post, Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said, "This will help genuine users get confirmed tickets during need."
2.5 cr 'bogus' IDs blocked
To curb unauthorised automated train ticket bookings through the IRCTC ticketing portal, Indian Railways on Wednesday said its AI-powered system has deactivated over 2.5 crore suspicious user IDs used for ticket reservations.
The railways recorded its highest-ever per-minute booking rate on May 22, with 31,814 tickets booked in just 60 seconds, a new milestone in operational efficiency and scalability.
“The railways has undertaken a comprehensive digital overhaul of its ticketing infrastructure. Through the deployment of cutting-edge anti-BOT systems and integration with a leading Content Delivery Network (CDN) service provider, the Railways has significantly curbed unauthorised automated bookings and improved the access of the website to the genuine users,” a statement said.
The new system has effectively mitigated all bot traffic, which peaks during the first five minutes of Tatkal. Bot traffic accounts for up to 50% of overall login attempts during this period.
To enhance fairness and efficiency, new user protocols have been introduced. Users not authenticated via Aadhaar can book Opening ARP, Tatkal or Premium Tatkal tickets only after 3 days of registration, while Aadhaar-verified users can book tickets without delay, the railways said.