Planning to Book a Train Ticket? IRCTC Restricts Non-Aadhaar Users During Peak Hours

The Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) has rolled out the second phase of its revised ticket booking policy, which came into effect on Monday, January 5, 2026.

Under the new rule, passengers who have not linked their Aadhaar numbers with their IRCTC accounts will not be allowed to book reserved train tickets between 8:00 am and 4:00 pm on the first day bookings open for a particular train. Railway ticket bookings generally open 60 days prior to the date of journey.

The measure is aimed at streamlining the reservation process and preventing misuse and fraudulent bookings, officials said.

The Railways are implementing the restriction in a phased manner. In the first phase, which began on December 29, non-Aadhaar-verified users were barred from booking tickets between 8:00 am and 12:00 pm on the opening day.

With the second phase now in force, the restricted window has been extended until 4:00 pm. The final phase of the rollout will begin on January 12, after which passengers without Aadhaar-linked IRCTC accounts will be unable to book tickets on the opening day from 8:00 am until midnight.