Massive Crackdown on Ticket Booking Bots
In a significant move to ensure fair ticket distribution, Indian Railways has blocked a staggering 77 lakh user accounts between February and October 2025 for using automated software to book Tatkal tickets. The crackdown comes as part of comprehensive security measures implemented by the railway's technological wing to protect genuine passengers from booking fraud.
Multi-Layered Security Measures Implemented
The Centre for Railway Information Systems (CRIS) has deployed sophisticated anti-bot technology that includes time-based steps on booking pages, enhanced captcha verification, and flow sequence checks before reaching the payment gateway. According to GVL Satya Kumar, Managing Director of CRIS, 10.57 billion spurious attempts were denied access to the e-ticketing system during October alone.
The system now automatically rejects any attempt to enter data before 35 seconds, which is considered impossible to achieve manually. Each IP address is assigned a 'reputation score' based on its history and global usage behavior, with poorly scored IPs or those linked to cyberattacks being automatically blocked.
Aadhaar Authentication and Daily Booking Statistics
Since July 2025, Indian Railways has made Aadhaar authentication mandatory for users booking Tatkal and Advance Reservation Period tickets. Officials report that over two crore users have already authenticated their IDs with Aadhaar, representing a doubling since June 2025.
The data reveals that approximately 2.5 lakh Tatkal tickets are booked daily, with one lakh tickets for AC classes and 1.5 lakh for non-AC classes. Remarkably, 80% of Tatkal tickets are booked within the first 15 minutes of the booking window opening, primarily for about 100 high-demand trains.
Enhanced Digital Security Infrastructure
The newly launched RailOne App has been integrated with an App Shielding tool to prevent unauthorized intrusions. Additionally, IRCTC's anti-fraud team continuously analyzes user IDs and deactivates suspicious accounts. These measures also protect the network from Denial of Service (DoS) attempts designed to overload servers.
The breakdown of server attacks shows that most attempts target application vulnerabilities or try to book tickets before the 35-second threshold. On average, 8.57 lakh bot accounts have been blocked monthly during the February-October period, demonstrating the scale of the automated booking challenge facing the railway system.
