The Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) has deactivated over 2.5 crore user IDs to curb fraudulent activities linked to Tatkal ticket bookings. The move was confirmed by Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw in the Rajya Sabha.
The deactivation comes after extensive data analysis revealed that many of these user accounts were being misused for bulk and bot-driven ticket bookings within minutes of the Tatkal window opening, denying genuine users fair access.
Investigations found that approximately 2.9 lakh tickets were booked within just five minutes of Tatkal booking opening, indicating the use of automated scripts.
To address the issue, IRCTC blocked around 6,800 disposable email domains, which were used to create fake accounts. A total of 134 complaints related to cyber fraud were also registered through the National Cyber Crime Portal.
As a part of its anti-fraud measures, IRCTC has implemented Aadhaar-based authentication for booking Tatkal tickets. Non-Aadhaar users now have a waiting period of three days before they can book certain categories like Opening ARP, Tatkal, or Premium Tatkal tickets.
Additionally, ticket agents are barred from booking during the first 30 minutes of the Tatkal window to ensure fair access for individual users.
The introduction of anti-bot technologies and the use of a Content Delivery Network (CDN) have helped IRCTC distinguish genuine users from bots and reduce artificial traffic.
These measures have led to a notable improvement in booking efficiency, with the success rate rising from 43% to 62% between October 2024 and May 2025.
On May 22, 2025, IRCTC recorded its highest-ever ticket processing speed of 31,814 tickets per minute, following these backend system upgrades. The crackdown and reforms are expected to strengthen the integrity of India’s railway ticketing system and offer a better experience for legitimate travelers.
