In a significant move to protect genuine travelers, Central Railway will introduce a mandatory One-Time Password (OTP) verification system for all Tatkal ticket bookings at Nagpur junction. This new rule, set to take effect from December 6, is designed to crack down on ticket touts, eliminate double bookings, and ensure tickets reach actual passengers.
How the New OTP System Will Work
The verification process will be applied uniformly across all booking channels. Whether a passenger books a Tatkal ticket through a PRS counter, an authorized travel agent, or directly via the IRCTC website and mobile app, they will need to complete an OTP check. Upon initiating a booking, an OTP will be sent to the mobile number provided by the passenger. The ticket will be confirmed and issued only after this OTP is successfully verified.
Scope and Expected Impact
The system will initially cover select major trains operating on or near the Nagpur route, connecting the city to important destinations like Delhi, Pune, Howrah, and Hyderabad. Railway officials are confident that this measure will drastically reduce touting activities that have long plagued the Tatkal system.
Nagpur junction sees a high demand for last-minute travel, with approximately 500 to 600 Tatkal tickets being booked daily at its reservation counter alone. By linking each booking to a verified mobile number, the railways aim to block automated software (bots) and manual methods used by touts to hoard tickets.
Building on Previous Verification Measures
This initiative is not the first attempt to sanitize the Tatkal booking process. Earlier, the railways had introduced Aadhaar-based verification for online Tatkal bookings in July. A pilot project for similar verification at reservation counters was also tested in November. The rollout from December 6 marks the formal expansion and integration of this OTP-based system for counter bookings on key trains originating from or passing through Nagpur.
Officials state that the combined effect of these measures will bring much-needed relief to common passengers, ensuring a fairer and more transparent ticket booking experience. The focus remains on prioritizing genuine travelers over profiteering intermediaries.
