Aadhaar-verified IRCTC users get exclusive midnight booking access
From January 12, 2026, Indian Railways is giving Aadhaar-verified IRCTC users a head start: they'll be the only ones able to book general reserved train tickets online from 8:00am all the way until midnight on the first day bookings open.
If you haven't linked your Aadhaar, you'll have to wait until after midnight or try on later days.
The goal? Make it easier for real passengers to snag those high-demand seats and cut down on bots and touts gaming the system.
Why does this matter?
If you've ever tried booking a train ticket right when sales open, you know how tough it is to get a confirmed seat.
This new rule is meant to give genuine travelers a fairer shot by locking out suspicious accounts—5.73 crore of which have already been suspended.
So if travel plans are in your future, linking your Aadhaar could save you some serious hassle.