Booking train tickets on IRCTC can be a race against time, especially for Tatkal and Premium Tatkal bookings. Manual booking is slow, and tickets often disappear within seconds. Automation can help you secure tickets faster by eliminating delays in form filling, refreshing, and payment processing.

In this detailed guide, we’ll explore:

• Key IRCTC Tatkal Automation Tools
• Best automation tools & browser extensions
• Python scripts using Selenium for auto-booking
• Third-party apps with auto-booking features
• How to handle CAPTCHA & avoid bans
• Pro tips for higher success rates

Starting July 1, 2025, Indian Railways has implemented stricter verification for Tatkal bookings. Users must authenticate their accounts using Aadhaar or DigiLocker before booking Tatkal tickets 15. By mid-July 2025, OTP-based verification will also become mandatory to prevent misuse of automated tools 27.

Some third-party apps, like Quick Tatkal - Train Ticket v25.7.1, claim to automate Tatkal bookings by auto-filling captchas, passenger details, and payment info using AccessibilityService API 4.

These tools may violate IRCTC’s terms of service, and accounts using them risk being blocked or flagged as suspicious (over 2 million accounts are already under investigation) 5.

Note: The official RailOne app (launched July 1, 2025) does not support automation—it only allows verified users to book Tatkal tickets manually 37.

The Proxy Wildcard: MoMoProxy Some users experiment with tools like MoMoProxy, which routes requests through alternate IPs to avoid IRCTC’s rate limits. While it can bypass temporary IP bans, this gray-area method risks:

• Account suspension (IRCTC flags inconsistent IPs).
• Payment failures (bank fraud detection may block proxy transactions).
• No guaranteed speed boost (Tatkal still depends on timing).

Why These Are Safe

• They don’t brute-force IRCTC—just optimize the legal process.

• No shady bots = no bans.

Previously, tools like IRCTC-tatkal_booking used Selenium to automate login, form filling, and payment steps 6. With the new Aadhaar/OTP requirements, such scripts are no longer effective unless they bypass authentication, which could lead to legal issues

IRCTC’s Terms of Service prohibit unauthorized bots, but some automation is allowed if:

• You manually solve CAPTCHAs (no full automation).
• You don’t make too many rapid requests (to avoid bot detection).
• You use trusted third-party apps (like ConfirmTkt, RailYatri).

Warning: Fully automated bots (without CAPTCHA solving) can get your account blocked.

These tools auto-fill details but still require manual intervention for CAPTCHA.

• How it Works: Saves passenger & payment details for quick form filling.

• Steps:

1. Install from Chrome Web Store.

2. Enter passenger, train, and payment details.

3. On booking day, it auto-fills forms in seconds.

Pros: Free, no coding needed. Cons: Doesn’t bypass CAPTCHA or auto-submit.

• Use "Super Auto Refresh" (Chrome extension) to reload the booking page.

• Pair with a form-filling extension for faster input.

If you know basic Python, you can create a semi-automated booking bot.

1pip install selenium
2
3

• Log in to IRCTC

• Search trains

• Auto-fill details

• Pause for CAPTCHA (manual input)

1from selenium import webdriver
2from selenium.webdriver.common.by import By
3import time
4
5# Setup Chrome WebDriver
6driver = webdriver.Chrome()
7
8# Open IRCTC
9driver.get("https://www.irctc.co.in")
10time.sleep(2)
11
12# Login
13driver.find_element(By.ID, "userId").send_keys("YOUR_USERNAME")
14driver.find_element(By.ID, "pwd").send_keys("YOUR_PASSWORD")
15driver.find_element(By.XPATH, "//button[contains(text(),'SIGN IN')]").click()
16time.sleep(3)
17
18# Fill journey details
19driver.find_element(By.ID, "origin").send_keys("DELHI (NDLS)")
20driver.find_element(By.ID, "destination").send_keys("MUMBAI (CSTM)")
21driver.find_element(By.ID, "journeyDate").send_keys("20-07-2024")
22driver.find_element(By.ID, "searchBtn").click()
23time.sleep(5)
24
25# Select train and class
26driver.find_element(By.XPATH, "//span[contains(text(),'Book Now')]").click()
27time.sleep(2)
28
29# Fill passenger details (manually or via script)
30print("Solve CAPTCHA Manually!")
31time.sleep(30)  # Wait for CAPTCHA
32
33# Proceed to payment
34driver.find_element(By.ID, "paymentSubmitBtn").click()
35
36

• Pros: Highly customizable, works even if IRCTC changes UI.
• Cons: Needs coding knowledge; CAPTCHA requires manual input.

Some apps legally integrate with IRCTC to speed up bookings.

• Automatically retries if booking fails.
• Suggests alternate trains.

• Sends instant alerts for Tatkal openings.
• One-click booking with saved details.

• Saves payment details for quicker bookings.

• Pros: No coding, easy to use.

• Cons: May charge convenience fees.

Since IRCTC requires manual CAPTCHA solving, here are some workarounds:

1. Use OCR Tools (Like Tesseract) – Low success rate.
2. Manual Entry (Best Option) – Script pauses for you to enter CAPTCHA.
3. CAPTCHA Solving Services (Not Recommended) – Risky & against IRCTC rules.

1. Login 10-15 mins before booking opens (IRCTC may log you out).
2. Use a high-speed internet connection (Jio Fiber/Airtel 5G).
3. Pre-select payment method (UPI is fastest).
4. Avoid multiple tabs (IRCTC may block you).
5. Try "Book Only If Available" (BOIA) trick – Reduces payment failures.

• For non-tech users: Use ConfirmTkt/RailYatri.
• For tech-savvy users: Try Python + Selenium.
• For fastest form filling: Use IRCTC Auto Fill Extension.

Automating IRCTC bookings can save time and increase success rates, but always follow IRCTC’s rules to avoid bans. For best results, combine Selenium automation with manual CAPTCHA solving or use trusted third-party apps.