Rental software can book tickets in as little as 50 seconds

Indian Railways’ Tatkal ticketing system, introduced to help passengers travel at short notice, is under scrutiny amid reports that rental software can book tickets in as little as 50 seconds. While some passengers argue that faster booking benefits genuine travellers, others say the system increasingly favours agents using illegal automation tools, raising concerns over legality, privacy, and fairness.

Tatkal tickets are often seen disappearing within seconds of booking windows opening. Multiple user accounts and reports suggest that rented booking software enables agents to secure confirmed Tatkal tickets even before ordinary passengers finish logging into the IRCTC app. Developed by private programmers, these tools allow agents to book tickets at scale.

Such software relies on automated bots and AI-driven scripts, often written in programming languages like Python. These tools instantly fill in passenger details, bypass manual typing delays, and send booking requests to IRCTC servers at speeds impossible for human users.

In several cases, agents are also alleged to manipulate servers by flooding them with ultra-fast requests, exploiting technical loopholes. Another concern is the use of fake or rented Aadhaar-linked IRCTC IDs. Rackets reportedly sell verified user accounts and OTP access, enabling bots to bypass CAPTCHA and OTP-based security checks.

Mixed Public Reactions

Public response to the issue has been divided. While many blame illegal bots for instant seat snatching, website crashes, and inflated prices, others argue that high demand is the real problem.

One Reddit user wrote, “The site is always slow. Now I don’t need to wait for OTPs. This makes booking easier for regular travellers.” Another countered, “Tickets are selling out in 50–60 seconds due to demand. If servers scale better, they’ll sell out in 5–10 seconds.”

Frustration over fairness is also evident. “If Tatkal is meant for brokers, it should be scrapped. False promises should not be made,” another user commented. Others fear that faster systems could worsen crashes, given that over 10 lakh users attempt bookings simultaneously.

To evade detection, software brokers reportedly provide masked IP addresses to agents. These tools circulate online under names such as Tesla, Gadar, Brahmos, Super Tatkal, Avenger, and Dr Doom, with Tesla, Gadar, and Avenger among the most commonly used.

Indian Railways has introduced Aadhaar-based OTP verification and stricter anti-bot measures to curb misuse. However, users complain these steps have increased technical glitches and raised privacy concerns without effectively stopping illegal automation. The Internet Freedom Foundation has flagged mandatory Aadhaar linking as a potential violation of constitutional privacy norms, while critics point to IRCTC’s past data breaches.

Despite enforcement efforts, illegal apps continue to thrive. Tatkal tickets are often resold on the black market at double the price. The Railway Protection Force has launched investigations and made several arrests, but the demand for fake identity documents remains high.

As Indian Railways battles automation misuse, the Tatkal system remains caught between technological efficiency and fairness for ordinary passengers.