The government disclosed that online train ticket bookings have significantly increased, with over 48.25 crore tickets, constituting 88% of total reserved bookings, processed digitally in FY 2025–26 until February. Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw highlighted that the shift towards online booking through IRCTC has simplified ticketing for passengers, eliminating the need to visit reservation counters and reducing travel time and expenses.
The minister emphasized that IRCTC’s online ticket booking service is a highly passenger-friendly initiative of Indian Railways, evident from the current scenario where approximately 88% of reserved tickets are booked online. To cover the costs associated with maintaining, upgrading, and expanding the ticketing infrastructure, IRCTC levies a nominal convenience fee.
The online ticketing system has emerged as a major passenger-friendly endeavor of Indian Railways, with a majority of tickets now being booked digitally. In a bid to ensure equitable access and prevent misuse, the government has implemented various measures to combat fraudulent activities. Notably, starting from July 1, 2025, Tatkal tickets can only be booked online by users authenticated through Aadhaar.
Vaishnaw mentioned that this move has helped in curbing fake accounts and enhancing the chances of genuine passengers securing tickets. Moreover, during 2025, around 3.04 crore user accounts were deactivated, and 2.94 crore accounts were temporarily suspended with an option for revalidation. However, from January 1, 2025, to February 28, 2026, 1,80,474 user accounts were re-activated.
IRCTC has also bolstered its technological defenses against cyber threats. The anti-bot technology deployed by IRCTC can thwart approximately 64% of malicious traffic, thereby enhancing the booking experience for legitimate users. Vaishnaw further elaborated that in the year 2025-26 until February 28, 2026, 13,023 suspicious email domains were blocked.
