NEW DELHI, India – In a significant move to curb fraudulent practices and ensure a fairer online ticket booking system, Indian Railways has deactivated over 2.5 crore (25 million) user IDs on the Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) platform. This large-scale cleanup was revealed in Parliament by the government in response to questions raised by Member of Parliament A.D. Singh.
The decision to deactivate such a massive number of accounts stems from an extensive data analysis that identified suspicious booking patterns and the presence of fake or inactive user IDs. Railway officials indicated that many of these accounts were either dormant or suspected of being involved in automated, bot-powered ticket bookings, which allowed unauthorized agents to snap up bulk tickets, often leaving genuine passengers struggling to secure reservations.
Concerns had been growing over tickets vanishing within minutes of booking windows opening, particularly for high-demand trains and during competitive Tatkal booking periods.
“With a view to curb malpractices in the ticket booking system, IRCTC has recently deactivated over 2.5 crore user IDs, as their credentials were found to be suspicious during extensive data point analysis,” the Railway Minister stated in Parliament, responding to MP A.D. Singh’s queries about irregularities and rapid ticket disappearance.
This crackdown is part of a broader initiative by Indian Railways to enhance the ticketing process and improve the overall passenger experience. Alongside this deactivation drive, several other measures are being implemented:
- Aadhaar Authentication for Tatkal: Effective July 1, 2025, tickets under the Tatkal scheme can only be booked through the IRCTC website or app by Aadhaar-authenticated users. This aims to improve transparency and prevent mass ticket hoarding.
- Agent Restrictions: Agents are now barred from booking opening-day Tatkal tickets during the first 30 minutes of the reservation window, giving individual passengers a fairer chance.
- Digital Payments at PRS Counters: Offline ticket counters now accept digital payments, offering increased convenience for passengers.
- Schemes like VIKALP and Upgradation: For waitlisted passengers, schemes like VIKALP allow for automatic shifting to alternate trains, while upgradation offers movement to higher classes if seats are available.
- Enhanced Data Tracking: Railways continues to use real-time data tracking and demand analysis to better manage ticket availability.
Around 89 percent of all train tickets are currently booked online, making the integrity of the digital booking system paramount. The railways have emphasized that this drive will be intensified further to ensure that only legitimate users can access the reservation facility, thereby curbing the activities of touts and unauthorized agents.
The move has been largely welcomed by genuine passengers who often face difficulties in booking confirmed tickets, especially during peak seasons.
