Booking train tickets through IRCTC is set to become significantly faster with the launch of the revamped website, which is expected to support over 1.5 lakh bookings every minute and introduce several user-friendly features.
Rail passengers can expect a revamped booking experience from July 15 as Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) unveils its upgraded website. As per reports, the platform has been built to process more bookings, load pages more quickly, and minimise the glitches that often affect users trying to secure Tatkal tickets.
Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw first announced the launch of the revamped IRCTC website during an event in Rajasthan last month. The decision gained momentum after several students at the gathering highlighted the difficulties they regularly face while booking train tickets through the existing portal.
However, a report from Amar Ujala suggests the website will not launch today. It reports that it could be postponed to the first or second week of August.
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IRCTC New Website: What This Means For Tatkal Users
For lakhs of passengers trying to book Tatkal tickets every day, the upgraded IRCTC website could make the process quicker and more reliable. Here's how the changes are expected to help:
Boost To Booking And Processing Capability
The redesigned website is expected to deliver a major boost in booking capability. From handling roughly 32,000 ticket reservations a minute at present, the new platform is set to support over 1.5 lakh bookings per minute.
The revamped reservation platform will significantly expand its processing capability, with the capacity to manage over 40 lakh enquiries every minute, up from the current 4 lakh.
Among the enhancements expected in the new Passenger Reservation System are:
Seat and berth preference selection during ticket booking.
A fare calendar enabling easy comparison of fares across multiple dates.
A multilingual interface aimed at improving ease of use.
Consolidated services for Divyangjan, students and patients on one platform.
Combined Seat Availability View
The revamped platform will simplify the process of selecting a train class by bringing all available options onto a single screen. Instead of checking Sleeper and various AC categories separately, users will be able to view and compare availability instantly in one place.
As per an NDTV report, the following changes are also in the offing:
CAPTCHA No Longer Needed For Routine Bookings
One of the key changes is the removal of CAPTCHA verification during normal ticket bookings. The upgraded security systems will provide protection without requiring users to complete additional verification steps.
Redesigned For Speed
The new portal features a cleaner layout and a lighter design, allowing pages to load more quickly while reducing the likelihood of lag or unresponsive screens, even on slower networks.
Enhanced Payment Experience
Payments have been made more seamless, with IRCTC-iPay and UPI taking centre stage. The streamlined process is expected to improve transaction success rates.
While the upgraded website is expected to improve booking speed and reduce technical bottlenecks, Tatkal ticket availability will continue to depend on demand and seat inventory. A faster platform does not guarantee ticket confirmation.
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