IRCTC Faces Website and App Outage During Crucial Diwali Booking Period

IRCTC , India's primary platform for railway ticket bookings, experienced a significant technical glitch during the peak Diwali booking season. The company's website and mobile application went down, causing frustration among users trying to secure their travel plans for the festive period.

Outage Details

Timing: The outage occurred during the crucial Tatkal booking hours, which typically open at 10 AM for AC coaches and 11 AM for non-AC berths.
Duration: Users were informed that the site would be non-operational for at least an hour due to technical issues.
Impact: The downtime affected a large number of users, as IRCTC processes approximately 1.25 million tickets daily.

IRCTC's Market Position

Despite the technical hiccup, IRCTC's market position remains strong:

Aspect	Details
Market Share	84% of all railway tickets sold in India
Daily Ticket Processing	1.25 million tickets
Company Valuation	$6.50 billion
Market Status	Monopoly in providing access to India's railway booking system

Market Reaction

Interestingly, despite the user frustration caused by the outage, IRCTC's shares remained unaffected in the stock market. This stability suggests that investors may view this incident as a temporary setback rather than a long-term concern for the company's performance.

Implications for Users and IRCTC

The timing of this outage during the Diwali rush highlights the critical need for robust infrastructure to handle peak loads. As IRCTC holds a monopoly in online railway bookings, such incidents underscore the importance of continuous system upgrades and maintenance to ensure seamless service during high-demand periods.

While the immediate impact on users is evident, the long-term effects on IRCTC's reputation and user trust remain to be seen. The company may need to address these technical challenges to maintain its strong market position and meet the growing demands of India's railway passengers.

1 Day	5 Days	1 Month	6 Months	1 Year	5 Years
+0.06%	+0.50%	-1.59%	-6.51%	-17.49%	+171.05%

IRCTC is set to introduce a game-changing feature for train travelers, offering free rescheduling of confirmed tickets starting January 2026. This new system, to be implemented on the IRCTC website and app, aims to provide unprecedented flexibility to passengers, allowing them to modify their travel dates without incurring cancellation fees.

Key Features of the New System

Free Rescheduling: Passengers can change travel dates online without cancellation charges.
Fare Difference: Only the difference in fare will be payable if the new ticket costs more.
Platform: Available on both IRCTC website and mobile app.
Launch Date: Expected to go live in January 2026.

Current vs. New Cancellation Policy

Aspect	Current Policy	New Policy (From Jan 2026)
Cancellation Charges (>48 hours before departure)	Rs 60.00 to Rs 240.00	No charges for rescheduling
Late Cancellation (< 48 hours before departure)	25-50% of fare	No charges for rescheduling
Missed Trains due to Delayed Flights	Ticket lost without compensation	Shifted to next available train

How It Works

Login: Passengers log into their IRCTC account.
Select Booking: Choose the existing booking to be rescheduled.
Choose New Date: Select a new travel date.
Seat Availability: System checks for seat availability on the new date.
Confirmation: Booking is updated upon successful rescheduling.

This innovative feature is expected to significantly reduce the financial burden on passengers who need to change their travel plans. It also addresses the long-standing issue of passengers losing their tickets due to missed connections caused by flight delays.

The real-time integration with IRCTC's reservation system ensures a seamless experience for users, making the process of rescheduling as simple as a few clicks. This move is likely to be welcomed by frequent travelers and those with unpredictable schedules, offering a new level of convenience in train travel planning.