No ticket booking from 8 am to 4 pm without Aadhaar: Rules for the first day of opening of train booking come into effect from today; Booking only at night from 12th January

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IRCTC Aadhaar Linking Mandatory From January 2026: No Ticket Booking 8 AM To 4 PM On Opening Day Without Aadhaar

New Delhi2 minutes ago

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From today i.e., from January 5, IRCTC users without Aadhaar link will not be able to book tickets from 8 am to 4 pm. This rule will be applicable only on the first day of opening of reserved rail ticket booking. Booking of reserved tickets opens 60 days before the date of train departure.

Railways is implementing this rule in three phases. The first phase came into effect from December 29. The second phase has started from today and the third phase will be implemented from January 12.

From December 29, ticket booking without Aadhaar was stopped from 8 am to 12 noon.
From today (January 5), there will be a ban on ticket booking from 8 am to 4 pm.
Tickets for such users will not be booked from 8 am to 12 midnight from January 12.

The purpose of this rule is to stop booking from fake accounts.

Its purpose is to give as many passengers as possible the opportunity to book tickets online on the opening day and to stop booking through fake accounts.

The new rule of Railways is only for reservation in general quota.

Understand the new rules of general reservation ticket booking in questions and answers…

Question 1: Why was this rule brought?

answer: To curb ticket brokers and fraudulent software. This will make it easier for common passengers to get confirmed tickets on the opening day. Now agents will not be able to book tickets for the first 4 hours. Common users will have full opportunity to book.

Question: How will Aadhaar work at the time of ticket booking?

answer: IRCTC account has to be linked to Aadhaar. At the time of booking, an OTP will come on your registered mobile, only after entering which the ticket will be confirmed.

Question: 3 Will the ticket not be booked if Aadhaar is not there?

answer: Users without Aadhaar link will not be able to book tickets in the first 4 hours (window opening). Only after this they will get a chance. At present no other option has been given.

Question 4: What will change if you buy tickets from the station counter?

answer: OTP is required at the counter also. Your mobile number should be linked to Aadhaar. If you are buying a ticket for someone else, then his Aadhaar and OTP will also be required.

Question 5: How to link Aadhaar on IRCTC?

answer: Log in to the IRCTC app or website. Go to ‘My Profile’ section and select ‘Aadhaar KYC’ option and update the details.

Question 6: Where will you get help in case of trouble?

answer: For booking or OTP issues call IRCTC helpline (139). For Aadhaar related problems contact UIDAI number (1947). You can also take help from the counter of the nearest railway station.

Question 7: Is this rule for the entire country?

answer: Yes, this rule will be applicable in all railway zones across India. Aadhaar authentication is now mandatory for online and counter booking of every route, be it Delhi to Mumbai or Chennai.

Question 8: What is the 60 day rule of Railways?

answer: Earlier you could book tickets 120 days (4 months) before the journey, but from November 1, 2024, Railways reduced this to 60 days (2 months). That means reservation is done maximum 60 days before the date of departure of the train. This does not include the day of travel.

Time: Booking starts every day at 8:00 AM for the next 60th day.

Example: If you want to travel on June 30, its booking will open 60 days in advance i.e. on May 1 at 8 am.

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