Ticket to Ride, Verified: Indian Railways Rewrites the Travel Playbook from July 1

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Starting July 1, 2025, Indian Railways is introducing a combination of three key changes that will make travel more convenient for individuals, enhance security, and update its reservation infrastructure. All of these changes impact fare conditions, Tatkal tickets, and reservation times on the chart— amounting to millions of daily travelers.

1. Fare Increase for Journey Beyond Day-to-Day Difference

First fare hike in 5 years, and lowest in more than a decade.
Non-AC Mail/Express trains: 1 paise/km hike.
AC classes: 2 paise/km hike.
Second-class fares: No increase up to 500 km; beyond that, a 0.5 paise/km increase is applicable.
Tickets booked before July 1 will not be impacted.

2. Aadhaar-Based Tatkal Booking Verification

Verified users only can book Tatkal tickets on IRCTC from July 1.
OTP-based Aadhaar or DigiLocker ID authentication required at the time of booking.
Booking agents prohibited from getting Tatkal quota within the first 30 minutes of the window.

3. Charts Finalized Earlier

Chart preparation brought forward from 4 to 8 hours before the train's departure.
For trains departing earlier than 2 PM, charts would be available by 9 PM the day before.
Aims to give waitlisted travelers adequate time to make alternative travel arrangements.

These are all part of a broader digital transformation, such as a new Passenger Reservation System (PRS) in December 2025, which will process 10 times the bookings and 4 million enquiries per minute.

Sources: Economic Times, Moneycontrol, Business Today