Winning Bizness Desk
Mumbai.Indian Railways has shut down 3.02 crore suspicious IRCTC accounts since January 2025 to curb large-scale ticket black marketing and ensure fair access for genuine passengers. Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw shared this information in the Lok Sabha on December 10, stating that the crackdown targets misuse of Tatkal ticket booking by touts using fake IDs, bots and automated software. These fake accounts were being used to corner tickets within seconds and resell them at inflated prices, leaving genuine travellers stranded.
Anti-bot systems and OTP verification introduced
The railway minister said a multi-layered technological response has been rolled out to tackle ticketing fraud. Advanced anti-bot solutions have been deployed to filter abnormal traffic and block automated booking attempts. These systems prioritise genuine users and improve the overall booking experience on the IRCTC platform.
To further tighten the process, Aadhaar-based OTP verification has been introduced for Tatkal bookings. This system ensures that only verified users can complete ticket purchases, significantly reducing misuse.
Tatkal ticket availability sees major improvement
According to the government, the new measures have led to visible gains in confirmed Tatkal ticket availability. Aadhaar-based OTP verification for online bookings was active on 322 trains till December 4, 2025. The railways claim that confirmed Tatkal ticket availability improved by around 65 percent on these routes.
Key outcomes highlighted by the ministry include:
- Sharp fall in bot-driven bulk bookings
- Faster access for genuine passengers
- Improved transparency in Tatkal ticket sales
OTP system extended to reservation counters
The railways have also expanded OTP verification beyond online platforms. At physical reservation counters, OTP-based authentication has been implemented for Tatkal tickets on 211 trains as of December 2025.
Additional actions taken include:
- Identification of suspicious PNRs linked to irregular bookings
- Reporting of such cases to the National Cyber Crime Portal
- Continuous coordination with cybercrime monitoring agencies
Multiple security layers safeguard ticketing system
Vaishnaw told Parliament that the railway ticketing ecosystem is protected through several security layers. These include network firewalls, intrusion prevention systems, application delivery controllers and web application security tools. Together, these mechanisms are designed to prevent unauthorised access, data breaches and manipulation of booking systems.
Continuous cyber monitoring and audits ensured
The minister added that regular security audits of the reservation system are conducted by CERT-In empanelled agencies. Internet traffic linked to railway ticketing platforms is continuously monitored by CERT-In and NCIIPC to detect cyber threats in real time.
The government says these steps aim to restore passenger trust and ensure that technology serves travellers, not touts, while keeping India’s railway booking system secure and fair.
