The Ministry of Railways on Wednesday launched the beta version of the revamped IRCTC ticket booking website, marking the first major redesign of the portal in over two decades. The upgraded platform aims to simplify train ticket bookings with a cleaner interface, fewer booking steps and an improved user experience.
The beta portal went live at 9:00 p.m. and is accessible at irctc.co.in/eticket/. Users can also access the new version through a link on the homepage of the existing IRCTC website.
According to the Ministry of Railways, the redesigned portal was developed after incorporating suggestions from students of Malaviya National Institute of Technology (MNIT), who shared feedback during an interaction with Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw.
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The IRCTC website, first launched in 2002, currently processes an average of around 14.5 lakh ticket bookings every day. The beta version introduces several changes aimed at making the booking process quicker and less cluttered.
Among the key improvements, users will encounter fewer captchas, no unnecessary pop-ups or flashing graphics, and a cleaner interface. Seat availability is now visible across all travel classes on a single screen, while the checkout process has been shortened by reducing the number of booking steps. Frequent travellers can also save passenger details to make repeat bookings faster.
"The beta version of the new IRCTC website is being launched today for users to experience the new look and feel of the website and provide feedback on its features," the Ministry of Railways said in a statement.
The ministry said the beta rollout is intended to gather user feedback before the upgraded platform is fully deployed. Suggestions received during the trial phase will be incorporated into future releases to further improve the customer experience.
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Railways also said the revamped website will soon be integrated with its new Passenger Reservation Engine, which is being upgraded in parallel. The existing reservation system, which powers train bookings across multiple platforms, has remained operational throughout the overhaul.
"The fully functional new IRCTC portal will be available in a few weeks," the ministry said, adding that the new Passenger Reservation Engine will also be launched soon.
The ministry has urged users to share feedback on the beta version to help refine the platform before its full-scale rollout.
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