IRCTC Deploys Anti-Bot System, Makes Aadhaar Mandatory For Tatkal Bookings

In order to tackle the issue of automated ticket bookings, Indian Railways has introduced an anti-bot system in partnership with a content delivery network (CDN) provider.

The Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) claims this move has helped block bot traffic that typically floods the system within the first five minutes of Tatkal bookings—meant for last-minute travel.

CDNs like Cloudflare and Akamai boost site performance by spreading traffic across servers, helping prevent crashes from bots and DDoS attacks.

A Local Circles survey had found that 70% of users trying to book Tatkal tickets in the past year were waitlisted within a minute of bookings opening.

With the anti-bot system in place, IRCTC has flagged and blocked over 2.5 crore suspicious user accounts.

Additionally, new users who don’t complete Aadhaar verification will now need to wait three days before booking Tatkal tickets, while those who verify their identity can book immediately.