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Indian Railways ticket booking: Train reservation time changes for Aadhaar-authenticated IRCTC users from Dec 29

Aadhaar-linked IRCTC train booking mandate: Earlier, the national transporter had made Aadhaar-based verification mandatory for booking reserved train tickets through the IRCTC website or app during the first 15 minutes of the opening of general reservations.

3 min readUpdated: Dec 29, 2025 03:19 PM IST

The move aims at ensuring that the benefits of the reservation system reach genuine passengers (Image generated using AI)

Indian Railways reservation, IRCTC ticket: The ticket booking window for Aadhaar-linked IRCTC users will change from Monday, December 29 on the Advance Reservation Period (ARP) opening day. The move aims to ensure that the benefits of the reservation system reach genuine passengers and prevent misuse by touts or other unscrupulous elements.

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IRCTC train booking, Indian Railways booking

Earlier, the national transporter had made Aadhaar-based verification mandatory for booking reserved train tickets through the IRCTC website or app during the first 15 minutes of the opening of general reservations. Later, Aadhaar authentication was extended to the morning hours – from 8 AM to 10 AM – on the first day of reserved ticket booking.

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Indian Railways reservation time, Indian Railways reservation online

However, the Railways has now decided to further expand the scope of Aadhaar-authenticated booking for general reservations on the opening day, extending the window up to 12:00 hrs from December 29. The national transporter also planned to further extend the ticket booking window for Aadhaar-authenticated up to 12 midnight (00:00 hours) in a phased manner.

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In a letter dated December 18, 2025, addressed to all Principal Chief Commercial Managers (PCCMs), the Railway Board said: “In continuation of the earlier instructions issued regarding requirement of Aadhaar authenticated IRCTC account for booking of General reserved tickets on the opening day of Advance Reservation Period (ARP), it has been decided to expand the scope of Aadhaar authenticated booking for general reservation on the opening day of reservation upto 0000 hours of the day in a phased manner.”

Time when only Aadhaar authenticated users to book online reserved tickets on opening day

08:00 - 12:00 hours

29.12.2025

08:00 - 16:00 hours

05.01.2026

08:00 - 00:00 hours

12.01.2026

Source: Ministry of Railways

Express InfoGenIE

However, there will be no change in the procedure of booking tickets across the computerised PRS counters.

Indian Railways chart preparation time before departure

According to the latest guidelines issued by Indian Railways on chart preparation timing, passengers should note that for trains departing between 05:01 hrs and 14:00 hrs, the first reservation chart will be prepared preferably by 20:00 hrs on the previous day.

Meanwhile, for trains with departure times between 14:01 hrs and 23:59 hrs, as well as those departing between 00:00 hrs and 05:00 hrs, the first reservation chart will be prepared preferably at least 10 hours in advance.

Anish Mondal

Anish Mondal is a journalist with over nine years of experience covering the railways and roadways. Currently a member of the Indianexpress.com editorial team, Anish specializes in high-impact sectors. Professional Journey Anish began his career at the public broadcaster Rajya Sabha Television (now Sansad TV), where he developed a foundational understanding of legislative processes and national governance. In 2018, he transitioned to digital financial journalism at FinancialExpress.com, spending nearly six years refining his expertise in market trends and corporate reporting. Before joining The Indian Express in 2025, he served as a key contributor at ETNowNews.com. Education & Expertise Anish’s reporting is backed by a rigorous academic background in communication and the humanities: Master of Journalism and Mass Communication (MJMC) – Apeejay Stya University Post Graduate Diploma in Journalism and Production (PGTVRJP) – Apeejay Institute of Mass Communication Bachelor of Arts (English Honours) – University of Calcutta Areas of Coverage Connectivity: Detailed reporting on the expansion of Indian Railways and National Highway networks. ... Read More

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