Booking train tickets on the Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) portal is set to become faster and more convenient with the launch of its redesigned website. The upgraded platform introduces several passenger-friendly features aimed at simplifying ticket reservations while significantly improving performance during peak booking hours.
The revamped website is part of Indian Railways’ larger digital modernisation drive and is designed to address long-standing complaints about slow loading speeds, excessive CAPTCHA checks and congestion during Tatkal bookings.
Faster bookings with higher capacity
One of the biggest improvements is the website’s ability to handle significantly higher traffic.
The upgraded portal can process more than 1.5 lakh ticket bookings per minute, compared to around 32,000 bookings per minute on the older system. Its enquiry handling capacity has also increased from nearly 4 lakh to over 40 lakh enquiries per minute, reducing slowdowns during high-demand periods, particularly Tatkal booking hours.
Preferred seat selection and fare calendar
Passengers can now choose their preferred seat or berth while booking tickets, making it easier to secure their desired accommodation whenever available.
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Another major addition is a fare calendar, allowing travellers to compare ticket prices across different travel dates before confirming their bookings. This feature is expected to help passengers identify more economical travel options and plan their journeys better.
Cleaner interface with fewer CAPTCHAs
The redesigned website also offers a cleaner and less cluttered interface by removing unnecessary pop-ups, flashing graphics and reducing repeated CAPTCHA prompts that often interrupted the booking process.
These changes are expected to make ticket reservations, especially Tatkal bookings where every second counts, much smoother and quicker.
More accessible for passengers
The new portal will support multiple Indian languages, making it more user-friendly for passengers across the country.
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It will also integrate services for Divyangjan passengers, students and patients on a single platform, allowing eligible users to access special booking facilities more conveniently.
Part of Railway’s digital overhaul
The website revamp follows Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw’s announcement to modernise IRCTC’s digital infrastructure after repeated complaints from passengers, including students, about booking delays and CAPTCHA-related issues.
Officials believe the new platform will deliver faster navigation, smoother ticket reservations and a more reliable booking experience for millions of passengers using the IRCTC portal every day.
FAQs
What new features does the revamped IRCTC website offer?
The new website includes preferred seat selection, a fare calendar, faster Tatkal bookings, fewer CAPTCHA checks, multilingual support and a cleaner interface.
Will Tatkal ticket booking become faster?
Yes. The upgraded portal can handle over 1.5 lakh bookings per minute and more than 40 lakh enquiries per minute, making Tatkal bookings faster and smoother during peak hours.
