The Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) will unveil an upgraded version of its ticket booking platform on July 15. This initiative aims to streamline and accelerate the reservation process for users. Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw revealed the upcoming launch in Rajasthan following concerns raised by students regarding the current booking system’s challenges.
The revamped website is designed to boost booking capacity significantly and enhance the overall user experience. It is projected to handle over 1.5 lakh ticket bookings per minute, a substantial increase from the current capacity of around 32,000 bookings per minute. Additionally, the Passenger Reservation System (PRS) is being enhanced to manage more than 40 lakh enquiries per minute, a significant improvement from the existing capacity of about 4 lakh enquiries per minute. These upgrades are expected to reduce delays and enhance responsiveness, particularly during peak booking periods like Tatkal ticket reservations.
Among the new features, the updated platform will allow travelers to specify their seat preferences during booking. Moreover, a new fare calendar will enable users to compare ticket prices across various travel dates before finalizing a reservation. The website will also support multiple Indian languages to enhance accessibility and provide integrated services for Divyangjan, students, and patients through a unified platform, simplifying access to special booking facilities.
The enhanced website will offer a more user-friendly interface by eliminating unnecessary pop-ups, distracting graphics, and excessive CAPTCHA prompts that often disrupt the booking process. These changes are geared towards expediting and simplifying ticket reservations, especially for Tatkal bookings. Furthermore, a unified seat availability view will be introduced, allowing passengers to check seat availability across all classes on a single screen, facilitating easier comparison and booking options.
