The Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) website experienced a massive outage on Tuesday morning, causing disruptions in Tatkal ticket bookings during peak hours. Passengers attempting to reserve tickets encountered error messages stating, “Booking and cancellation for all sites will not be available for the next hour. Inconvenience caused is deeply regretted.”
This is not the first time IRCTC has faced technical issues. A similar glitch occurred on December 26, leaving users frustrated. The latest outage sparked widespread anger, particularly among travelers scrambling to secure Tatkal tickets—reservations that are only available one day before the journey.
As the outage persisted, Downdetector, a service that tracks website issues, reported a sharp rise in complaints during the morning hours. Approximately 700 users reported problems with the platform.
Many furious passengers took to social media to vent their frustrations. Some accused the IRCTC system of being manipulated, while others claimed they were only able to book premium Tatkal tickets—priced at double the standard rates—after services were restored.
Also Read- Delhi to Srinagar in 13 Hours: Kashmir’s First Direct Train from the Capital Announced
One user posted on X (formerly Twitter), “Dear @IRCTCofficial, your services have been consistently disappointing. Booking Tatkal tickets has been a frustrating experience for over a decade. It’s time to rethink whether such unreliable services should continue. @RailMinIndia.”
Another user questioned the lack of improvements, writing, “Why can’t engineers or the government come up with alternate solutions for IRCTC Tatkal bottlenecks? I’ve always faced problems booking Tatkal tickets. What’s the use of a system if it can’t fulfill its purpose?”
The recurring technical failures have left passengers demanding better infrastructure and more reliable service from IRCTC.