The IRCTC website has experienced yet another outage, creating significant challenges for travelers trying to book Tatkal tickets. When users visit the site, they encounter a message indicating that ticket booking and cancellation services will be suspended for the next hour. This disruption affects not just ticket purchases, but also essential services like checking ticket status and PNR information, leaving many users in a state of frustration.
The issues are extensive, with both the website and the mobile app down. Downdetector, a site that tracks online outages, reported a rise in user complaints starting around 10:50 AM today. Many users voiced their frustrations on social media, highlighting their inability to book tickets.
One frustrated user noted the ongoing challenges of securing Tatkal tickets, lamenting that the IRCTC website has suffered multiple outages this month alone. Given that Indian Railways operates on a budget of ₹2.5 lakh crore, questions are being raised about the platform’s reliability. Another social media user pointed out that the IRCTC app is often down during peak travel seasons such as Diwali and Pongal, leaving countless travelers disappointed when they need it most.
This is not the first time IRCTC has faced such issues. In December, the website and app were down on three separate occasions. On December 9th, users were unable to access the e-ticketing platform for an hour due to necessary maintenance. Further disruptions were reported on December 26th and again on December 31st, preventing users from booking their tickets.
For many, the IRCTC services are vital for travel, and the frequency of these outages is increasingly drawing criticism from users who expect better reliability from such a crucial platform. As travelers rely on these services for their journeys, the need for a more resilient and consistently available platform remains a growing concern.
