New IRCTC website to launch by July 15: Faster booking, seat selection and more

Indian Railways is set to roll out a new IRCTC website by July 15 after students raised concerns over captcha issues, website crashes and booking delays. The upgraded platform aims to make ticket booking faster and smoother.

In Short

• New IRCTC website is set to launch by July 15
• Upgrade follows student complaints about booking issues
• New features include faster ticket booking and seat selection

Booking train tickets on IRCTC could soon become a lot easier. Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw has announced that a new IRCTC website will be launched by July 15 after students raised concerns about frequent glitches, captcha problems and slow performance on the existing platform.

The announcement came during an interaction with students at Malaviya National Institute of Technology (MNIT), Jaipur, where a student flagged issues faced while booking tickets online.

The upgraded platform is expected to offer a faster and more user-friendly experience for millions of railway passengers across India.

WHY A NEW IRCTC WEBSITE IS COMING

The move comes after students at MNIT Jaipur highlighted problems with the current IRCTC platform, particularly captcha verification issues and booking difficulties during peak hours. During the interaction, Vaishnaw called a railway official and asked whether a new platform could be rolled out within 30 days.

He later informed students that the upgraded website would be launched by July 15.

The announcement quickly gained attention online, with videos of the exchange being widely shared on social media.

WHAT PASSENGERS CAN EXPECT

According to reports, the revamped IRCTC website is expected to improve the overall ticket booking experience. Planned upgrades include:

• Faster ticket booking process
• Better handling of high traffic volumes
• Improved Tatkal booking status updates
• Seat selection feature
• Smoother user interface and navigation

The goal is to reduce crashes, delays and other issues that passengers often face during peak booking periods.

WHY THE UPGRADE MATTERS

Online reservations now account for the vast majority of railway ticket bookings in India. Railway officials have said that around 88 per cent of train tickets are booked digitally rather than through reservation counters.

As demand continues to grow, improving the platform's speed and reliability has become increasingly important.

Passengers have frequently reported website crashes, OTP issues and delays during Tatkal bookings, especially when demand is high. The new platform is expected to address many of these long-standing concerns.

MORE ANNOUNCEMENTS IN JAIPUR

During his visit to Jaipur, Vaishnaw also announced the establishment of an Advanced Quantum Computing and Quantum Communications Lab at MNIT Jaipur. The facility will focus on areas such as Quantum Key Distribution (QKD), quantum computing simulation and quantum sensing technologies.

The minister also announced that MNIT students will get access to Lam Research's Semiverse platform, a digital twin-based semiconductor training ecosystem.

WHAT HAPPENS NEXT?

With the July 15 deadline now in place, railway passengers will be watching closely to see how the new IRCTC website performs.

If the promised upgrades deliver on speed, reliability and ease of use, the overhaul could make train ticket booking far less stressful for millions of users across the country.

With inputs from ANI

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