Millions of passengers use Indian Railways every day, with a large number choosing to reserve their seats through the IRCTC website or mobile app. However, frequent travellers may sometimes see a message saying that their monthly ticket booking limit has been reached.
Indian Railways has different monthly booking limits for regular IRCTC accounts and accounts verified through Aadhaar. These rules are intended to help prevent misuse and the commercial booking of railway tickets.
Monthly Ticket Limit for Regular IRCTC Users
Passengers with a regular IRCTC account that is not linked to Aadhaar can book up to 12 train tickets in a month.
Earlier, the monthly limit for such users was six tickets. Indian Railways later increased it to 12 tickets to make online ticket booking more convenient for passengers.
Therefore, even without Aadhaar verification, an IRCTC user can currently make up to 12 online bookings in a month, subject to the applicable booking rules.
How Aadhaar Verification Increases the Limit
Passengers who need to book more than 12 tickets in a month must link their IRCTC user ID with Aadhaar.
However, Aadhaar linking of the account alone is not sufficient for booking beyond the regular monthly limit. At least one passenger travelling on the ticket must have their Aadhaar details linked in the railway booking system.
This facility allows Aadhaar-verified users to make bookings beyond the limit applicable to regular, non-Aadhaar-verified accounts.
Tatkal Ticket Booking Rules
There are separate restrictions for Tatkal reservations. A user can book a maximum of two Tatkal tickets per day during the specified booking period from 10 AM to 12 PM.
The rules also state that only one Tatkal booking form can be submitted from a single IP address or through one login session.
Important Rule for Personal IRCTC IDs
Passengers should also remember that a personal IRCTC account is intended for booking tickets for the account holder or their family members. It should not be used for commercial ticket bookings.
Using a personal user ID to book railway tickets for commercial purposes is considered a legal offence under railway regulations.
Disclaimer: The information in this article is based on the railway booking rules and details provided in the source material. Booking limits and railway policies may be revised by the authorities from time to time. Passengers should check the latest official IRCTC or Indian Railways guidelines before making a reservation.