New Rules and Guidelines for IRCTC Online Ticket Booking
Indian Railways, through its initiative by the Indian Railways Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC), has recently announced significant changes to its online ticket booking rules. These changes are aimed at enhancing the user experience and ensuring fair distribution of tickets. This article will discuss the new rules proposed and the guidelines for online ticket booking on the IRCTC website and app.
Increased Booking Limit
IRCTC has proposed an increase in the online booking limit for tickets. For users who are not linked to Aadhaar (India's unique identification number), the monthly booking limit from 6 tickets to 12 tickets is now proposed. Similarly, for users linked to Aadhaar, the limit has been increased from 12 tickets to 24 tickets. This change is expected to provide greater flexibility and convenience to travelers while ensuring that the system remains fair and efficient.
Recent Permitted Increases
In a notification dated June 6, 2022, the Railway Board allowed the booking limit for tickets to be increased from the existing 6 tickets to a maximum of 12 tickets per user ID per month. Additionally, for Aadhaar-verified user IDs, the booking limit is now increased from 12 tickets to a maximum of 24 tickets per month, with at least one passenger in the ticket needing to be verifiable through Aadhaar.
Online Ticket Reservation Guidelines
Indian Railways has introduced several new guidelines to streamline the online ticket reservation process. These guidelines are designed to make the process more efficient and secure. Below are the key measures introduced:
Single Page or Quick Book Services
Single page or quick book services are not available during the peak booking hours between 8 am and 12 noon. This ensures that users are not rushed and can make informed choices during these crucial times of the day.
Monthly Booking Limits
A single user ID can now book up to 12 tickets in a month if they are linked to Aadhaar. For non-Aadhaar linked user IDs, the limit has been increased to 24 tickets per month. These limits are designed to prevent excessive booking and ensure fair distribution of tickets among all users.
Time Sensitivity
The standard time to fill up passenger details is 25 seconds, and the minimum input time required for Captcha on the passenger details page and payment page is 5 seconds. Users will get 10 seconds to make payments. For net banking, the one-time password (OTP) system has been made mandatory to enhance security.
Additional Security Measures
To further ensure security, an additional level of security has been added. After filling up personal information such as username, email, mobile number, and ticking the required boxes, users are required to answer a security question. This additional step helps to differentiate between humans and robots and ensures the security of the booking process.
Time Slots for Ticket Brokers and Agents
Ticket brokers and agents are allowed to reserve tickets at specific times. They can make reservations between 8 am to 8.30 am, 10 am to 10.30 am, and 11 am to 11.30 am. This measure is aimed at preventing abuse by these entities and ensuring a fair distribution of tickets.
These new rules and guidelines are expected to enhance the overall user experience on the IRCTC website and app. By implementing these measures, IRCTC aims to provide travelers with a more efficient, convenient, and secure online ticket booking process.