Travelers using the Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) website and mobile app experienced disruptions during the crucial Tatkal ticket booking window. This outage, the second major one in December, left thousands frustrated and unable to book tickets during peak hours. The IRCTC website, the primary portal for online ticket bookings for Indian Railways, went offline just before the Tatkal booking window opened. Around 2,500 users reported issues accessing the site at approximately 10:25 am IST.
During this outage, which coincided with peak booking hours, travelers were unable to secure tickets in both AC and non-AC classes. The IRCTC system displayed a message stating that the e-ticketing service was unavailable due to maintenance activity, prompting customers to retry later. This was not an isolated incident, as a similar outage occurred on December 9 due to maintenance activities.
Despite the frequent disruptions, IRCTC has yet to provide an official statement explaining the cause of these outages. However, they have advised users to contact their customer care team for assistance during downtime. Passengers expressed their frustrations on social media, with many criticizing the system’s unreliability and failure during critical booking periods.
Concerns were raised about the potential manipulation of the ticket booking system, with social media users alleging inflated ticket prices and insider access. Passengers affected by the outage were provided with alternative solutions for ticket cancellations, including contacting customer care for Ticket Deposit Receipts (TDRs) to process refunds.
The repeated outages have raised questions about the reliability and stability of IRCTC’s online systems. Passengers have called for infrastructure improvements and better maintenance schedules to prevent future disruptions. While the IRCTC team works to resolve these issues, passengers remain hopeful for a more stable and efficient ticketing experience in the future.
The outage during the Tatkal booking window highlighted the need for better management of the IRCTC website and ticket booking process. Customers continue to face challenges with frequent disruptions, emphasizing the importance of addressing these issues to ensure a smoother experience for all rail travelers.