SRINAGAR: The Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) has rolled out the second phase of its revised ticket booking rules, which came into effect on Monday, January 5, 2026.
Under the new provision, passengers whose IRCTC accounts are not linked with Aadhaar will be barred from booking reserved train tickets between 8 am and 4 pm on the first day bookings open for a train. Railway ticket reservations generally begin 60 days prior to the date of travel.
The measure is aimed at streamlining the reservation process and preventing misuse and fraudulent bookings.
The new rule is being implemented in three phases. During the first phase, which began on December 29, unverified users were restricted from booking tickets between 8 am and 12 noon on the opening day. With the rollout of the second phase, this restricted period has now been extended till 4 pm.
The final phase will take effect from January 12, after which passengers without Aadhaar-linked IRCTC accounts will not be allowed to book tickets at any time on the opening day, from 8 am until midnight.
