NEW IRCTC RULES 2025 - Rail Travels

NEW IRCTC RULES 2016 & IRCTC RULES AND REGULATIONS

SERIAL NO.	SUBJECT	TO VIEW
1.	Misuse of Senior Citizen Concession as well as Senior Citizen Quota	CLICK HERE
2.	Fare Structure of Varanasi-New Delhi Mahamana Express	CLICK HERE
3.	Validity of unreserved tickets over Non-suburban sections	CLICK HERE
4.	Fare structure of Varanasi-New Delhi Mahamana Express	CLICK HERE
5.	Reservation on internet through IRCTC	CLICK HERE
6.	Charges for Unreserved Second Class (GS) coaches and sitting accommodation of SLR for running of special trains and Suvidha trains	CLICK HERE
7.	New Railway Rule for Unreserved Train Tickets from 01-03-2016	CLICK HERE
8.	Charges for Unreserved Second Class (GS) coaches and sitting accommodation of SLR for running of special trains and Suvidha trains	CLICK HERE
9.	Appointment of facilitators for issuing of unreserved tickets through Automatic Ticket Vending Machines (ATVMs)	CLICK HERE
10.	Charges for haulage of empty coaches on private account	CLICK HERE
11.	Issuing of tickets to foreign tourists against Foreign Tourist Quota	CLICK HERE
12.	Earmarking of Reservation Quota for Women and Senior Citizens	CLICK HERE
13.	Establishment and operation of Yatri Ticket Suvidha Kendra (YTSK)	CLICK HERE

Here’s a clear and organized overview of the new IRCTC rules for 2025, detailing key changes you should know:

Key IRCTC Rule Updates (2025)

Effective from July 1, 2025: Only users whose IRCTC accounts are linked with Aadhaar can book Tatkal tickets—both online and via booking counters.

From July 15, 2025: Regardless of booking mode (online, PRS counters, or through agents), an OTP sent to the Aadhaar-linked mobile number must be entered to complete Tatkal bookings.

Agents are prohibited from booking Tatkal tickets during the first 30 minutes of each booking window:
- AC Classes: 10:00 AM – 10:30 AM
- Non-AC Classes: 11:00 AM – 11:30 AM
This gives genuine individual passengers a fair head start.

Reservation charts will now be finalized 8 hours before train departure, instead of the earlier standard of 4 hours.
For trains departing before 2 AM, the chart may be prepared as early as 9 PM the previous night.

From July 1, 2025:
- Non-AC tickets now cost an additional 1 paisa per km.
- AC class tickets have increased by 2 paise per km.
- Short-distance travel (≤ 500 km) fares remain unchanged.
- Fare hikes vary with distance tiers beyond 500 km (e.g., ₹5 extra for 501–1500 km journeys).

From May 10, 2025, authorized agents must authenticate their IRCTC logins with a mobile OTP linked to their Aadhaar—preventing misuse via bots and fake accounts.
This particularly applies during peak booking periods, including Tatkal.

Starting May 1, 2025, passengers holding waiting-list tickets are no longer allowed to travel in Sleeper or AC coaches.
They must use General (unreserved) coaches, or face fines—₹250 for Sleeper and ₹440 for AC.
Advance Reservation Period reduced from 120 to 60 days.

Rule Update	Description
Aadhaar-linked accounts required	Only Aadhaar-verified users can book Tatkal (from July 1)
Mandatory OTP for Tatkal bookings	Required for all booking modes (from July 15)
Agent restrictions	Agents cannot book in first 30 minutes of Tatkal window
Earlier reservation chart	Prepared 8 hours before departure
Nominal fare increase	+1 paisa/km (Non-AC), +2 paisa/km (AC) for long-distance
Agent login OTP	Agents require mobile OTP tied to Aadhaar (from May 10)
Waiting list travel restriction	Waiting tickets not valid for AC/Sleeper (from May 1)

Let me know if you’d like help linking Aadhaar with your IRCTC account, setting up OTP authentication, or planning around these changes.