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Indian Railways New Tatkal Token System (Img: Internet)
New Delhi: Indian Railways has launched a new token-based system for Tatkal ticket booking across all stations in the Kota Division under West Central Railway. The initiative aims to reduce overcrowding and long queues at reservation counters during peak Tatkal booking hours. Officials say the system is designed to make the booking process more organized and efficient for passengers.
Under the new arrangement, passengers must first collect a token before booking a Tatkal ticket at the counter. Instead of standing in long physical queues, applicants will be served based on their assigned token number. This ensures a more systematic flow of passengers and reduces confusion during peak hours.
The railway authorities have fixed specific timings for issuing tokens. For AC class Tatkal bookings, tokens will be distributed between 9:00 am and 9:25 am. For Sleeper class tickets, the token distribution window is from 9:30 am to 9:55 am. After this process, regular Tatkal booking hours remain unchanged, with AC class bookings starting at 10:00 am and non-AC bookings beginning at 11:00 am, one day before the journey date.
According to officials, the main objective of introducing this system is better crowd management at reservation counters. Tatkal booking hours often witness heavy rush, leading to long waiting times and inconvenience for passengers. The token system is expected to streamline the process and reduce physical congestion at stations.
While the offline counter system now includes token distribution, online Tatkal booking through IRCTC continues to operate with Aadhaar-based authentication. This ensures verification and prevents misuse of the Tatkal facility on digital platforms.
At present, the token system has been implemented only in the Kota division of West Central Railway. Officials have not yet confirmed whether the model will be extended to other divisions across India. However, if successful, it may serve as a blueprint for improving Tatkal booking management nationwide.
