Indian Railways has officially announced the Tatkal ticket booking schedule for passengers planning to travel on August 23. Travellers must complete their bookings a day in advance on August 22, adhering to strict timings and updated regulations enforced across online and physical platforms. According to the official schedule, booking for AC classes will commence at 10:00 AM, while bookings for Sleeper and non-AC classes will open at 11:00 AM. Passengers are advised to keep their details ready to secure seats smoothly.
Online IRCTC Booking Regulations
To ensure a transparent ticketing process, several mandatory rules apply to online reservations. Since July 15, 2025, Aadhaar-based OTP authentication has been required for all online Tatkal bookings via the IRCTC platform. To maintain fairness, authorized ticketing agents are prohibited from booking tickets during the first 30 minutes of each window—specifically from 10:00 AM to 10:30 AM for AC classes and 11:00 AM to 11:30 AM for non-AC classes. Additionally, a maximum of four passengers per PNR is permitted for Tatkal reservations. Recent upgrades to the IRCTC website have improved system performance, with data showing a 5% increase in successful transactions completed within the first three minutes of the booking window.
Physical Reservation Counter Guidelines
For travellers using railway reservation counters, a new token system implemented on August 1, 2026, remains in effect to manage passenger flow efficiently. Counter timings for token distribution are structured such that tokens for AC classes are distributed between 8:30 AM and 9:00 AM, while non-AC class tokens are available from 9:00 AM to 9:30 AM. These physical counters prioritize immediate family bookings under Category A, whereas Category B passengers are required to present valid government-issued identification, such as an Aadhaar card. Passengers are encouraged to follow these guidelines carefully to avoid any inconvenience.