OTP-Based Instant Ticket Booking at Railway Counters
Indian Railways is simplifying and making the instant ticket booking process more transparent for passengers. A new OTP (One-Time Password) based system for instant ticket booking will be implemented at reservation counters across stations. This system will be rolled out in the coming days at all stations.
Railways believe that this new process will make ticket booking easier and provide relief to passengers who often face difficulties in getting instant tickets. Over the past year and a half, Railways has taken several significant steps to make online ticket bookings more secure. In July 2025, the Aadhaar-based OTP system for online instant tickets was launched.
Instant Ticket Booking Now via OTP
In October 2025, OTP verification was also made mandatory for all general online ticket bookings. Passengers accepted these changes with ease. As a result, transparency in online ticketing increased, fraudulent bookings decreased, and the chances of genuine passengers getting tickets improved.
Now, this successful model is being implemented at the railway counter bookings as well. On November 17, 2025, Indian Railways launched a pilot project for OTP-based counter ticket booking. Initially, this system was applied to 52 trains. After a few weeks of trial, the system proved successful, and it was found effective in preventing misuse. As a result, it has now been decided to apply this system at all counters and for all trains.
OTP-Based Booking Process at Counters
According to Western Railways, the new process is simple. Passengers will fill out a reservation form as usual and provide their mobile number correctly. Once the information is entered at the counter, an OTP will be sent to the passenger's mobile number.
The counter staff will enter this OTP into the system. The ticket will only be issued once the correct OTP is received. This means that the ticket will only be issued to the person whose mobile number receives the OTP.
Prevention of Fake Ticketing
This system will prevent fraudulent activities such as booking tickets using fake numbers or blocking the instant quota. The major benefit is that the chances of the actual passenger getting an instant ticket will increase. This will clamp down on middlemen and those using fake IDs to book tickets. The ticket booking process at counters will also become more secure and reliable. Passengers will receive immediate confirmation on their mobile phones, ensuring the ticket has been issued after proper verification.