Train Ticket Booking : If you’re someone who often travels by train, it’s time to mark your calendar—Indian Railways is rolling out major changes to its ticket booking system starting May 1, 2025. These new rules aim to make the entire process smoother, safer, and more convenient for genuine passengers, while cracking down on misuse by touts and agents.
Whether you book tickets through the IRCTC app or website, or you’re planning a journey for later this year, these three major updates are definitely something you need to be aware of.
1. OTP Verification Now Mandatory for Every Booking
To tackle the growing issue of fraudulent bookings and misuse by agents, Indian Railways is making OTP verification mandatory for all users—even those already registered with IRCTC.
So, here’s what will happen: every time you book a ticket on the IRCTC platform, you’ll receive a One-Time Password (OTP) on your registered mobile number. Only after entering that OTP will you be allowed to proceed to the payment stage. This is being done to ensure that real passengers are booking the tickets and to stop bots and agents from hoarding seats.
While it might feel like an extra step, it’s a small price to pay for better security and a fairer booking experience.
2. Advance Booking Period Slashed from 120 Days to 90 Days
Another big change—you’ll now only be able to book your train tickets up to 90 days in advance, instead of the earlier 120 days. This rule will also kick in from May 1, 2025, and applies to most regular trains (special festival trains may still follow a different timeline).
According to the Railway Board, this move is aimed at reducing misuse by touts and scalpers who book tickets in bulk well in advance and sell them later at inflated prices. It’s also expected to improve train utilization and make the system more dynamic and responsive to actual travel demand.
3. Faster Refunds – Now Within 2 Days!
Here’s some great news—refunds on canceled train tickets will now be processed within 48 hours. Earlier, it could take 5 to 7 working days for your money to show up in your account, which was super frustrating.
Thanks to better banking coordination and tech upgrades, this will now be much faster. The rule applies to both online bookings and counter bookings, as long as they’re connected to a bank account.
So if you ever need to cancel a ticket, you won’t have to wait a week to get your money back.
Why the Sudden Changes?
According to railway officials, these updates are part of a broader push to make Indian Railways more transparent, secure, and passenger-friendly. With millions using the system daily, it’s crucial to ensure fairness and efficiency.
The Railway Ministry had been receiving a lot of complaints about booking glitches, refund delays, and misuse of online booking systems—so these changes are meant to fix exactly that.
Also Read:
Salary Hike Hopes Rise: Govt Starts 8th CPC Setup with 42 New Appointments – 8th Pay Commission
Bottom Line
These changes, while small on the surface, will make a big difference to how passengers interact with the Indian Railways system. Whether you’re a daily commuter or an occasional traveler, knowing about these updates can save you time, money, and frustration.
So, if you’re planning a trip after May 1, make sure to update your mobile number, plan your booking dates carefully, and enjoy faster refunds if plans change.
Also Read:
No More ₹50,000 Fees—Register Your Land Online for Less Than ₹100 – New Land Registration Rules