If you book train tickets online through IRCTC, this update could be important for you. The Indian Railways Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) has blocked more than 2 crore suspicious accounts using artificial intelligence. Your account could be next, so it’s advisable to check and link it with your Aadhaar to avoid getting blocked.

This action has been taken to help genuine passengers, especially those booking Tatkal and Premium Tatkal tickets. The Railways has launched a crackdown on users who use bots or automated tools to book tickets online. A special AI-powered software, developed by the Railways, has been used to identify and deactivate over 2.4 crore such accounts in the past six months. Another 20 lakh accounts have been flagged as suspicious and are currently under review for Aadhaar and document verification.

More Than 13 Crore Active Users On IRCTC

Currently, IRCTC has over 13 crore active subscribers, but only about 1.2 crore accounts are Aadhaar-verified. IRCTC has decided to closely examine all non-Aadhaar authenticated accounts. If found suspicious, these accounts could be deactivated permanently.

To promote transparency and ensure fair access, IRCTC is giving Aadhaar-linked users priority access during the first 10 minutes of Tatkal booking. Even authorised agents are not permitted to book tickets during this window. This makes Aadhaar verification increasingly essential for regular passengers.

What Should You Do?

To avoid any disruption to your bookings, it’s strongly advised to link your IRCTC account with Aadhaar as soon as possible. This will ensure smoother access to services and prevent accidental account suspension.