25-07-2025
Indian Railways has deactivated 2.5 crore IRCTC user IDs: Has yours also been deactivated? Check now
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Reserved tickets can be booked either online or across computerised Passenger Reservation System (PRS) counters on first cum first served basis. Presently, around 89% of total tickets are being booked through online mode.
At PRS counters, the facility of making payments through digital modes has been provided.
With effect from 01-07-2025, tickets under tatkal scheme can be booked through the website of Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC)/its app only by Aadhaar authenticated users.
Agents are barred from booking opening day tatkal tickets during the first 30 minutes of opening of Tatkal reservation.
Waiting list position of the trains is monitored on a regular basis and in order to cater to additional demand, Indian Railways operates Special train services and augments the load of trains to generate additional accommodation, subject to operational feasibility.
Further, schemes like Alternate Train Accommodation Scheme (ATAS) known as VIKALP and up-gradation scheme have been introduced to provide confirmed accommodation to waitlisted passengers and also to ensure optimal utilization of available accommodation.
The government also outlined a series of new reforms, including mandatory Aadhaar authentication for tatkal bookings, a ban on agent access during peak hours, and more transparent digital payment systems at PRS counters.
Indian Railways has deactivated over 2.5 crore Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation ( IRCTC ) user IDs as part of efforts to curb misuse in the online ticket booking system . The deactivation was done after noticing suspicious booking patterns and user behavior identified through advanced data analytics. With many concerns about tickets vanishing within minutes of booking and rising misuse by agents and bots. This was confirmed in a written reply to Parliament following questions raised by Member of Parliament A. D. of Parliament A. D. Sigh raised several questions on deactivation of user IDs, tickets vanishing with minutes and measures taken by the Wealth Online breaks down the government's official response to four key questions from the rationale behind deactivating accounts to the digital upgrades being implemented to stop ticketing fraud.(a) Whether it is a fact that Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) has recently deactivated over 2.5 crore User IDs, if so, the reasons behind such large-scale deactivation;(b) Whether government is planning a digital overhaul of the railway reservation system to curb misuse, if so, the details thereof;(c) Whether it is also a fact that tickets for many trains vanish within minutes of the opening of reservation window; and(d) The measures being taken to ensure transparency, prevent misuse, and improve passenger access to confirmed tickets?The government in Parliament replied to the aforementioned questions: With a view to curb malpractices in the ticket booking system, IRCTC has recently deactivated over 2.5 crore user ids, as their credentials were found to be suspicious during extensive data point analysis. On Indian Railways, the demand pattern of reserved accommodation is not uniform throughout the year and it varies over lean and peak periods. The trains running on popular routes and convenient timings are generally well patronized, however, in other trains, accommodation is generally available. To improve passenger access to confirmed tickets, to ensure transparency and to proliferate digital modes, the following steps have been taken by Indian Railways:-
