Jobaaj Stories
The Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) e-ticketing platform faced a major outage once again, leaving many users frustrated and unable to access the website. During peak Tatkal booking hours, most users attempting to access the platform were greeted with a “downtime message,” causing widespread disruption to ticket bookings.
What Did the “Downtime Message” Say?
When users tried to log onto the IRCTC portal, they saw a notification reading, “Booking and Cancellation for all site will not be available for the next hour. Inconvenience caused is deeply regretted. FOR CANCELLATION/FILE TDR, PLEASE CALL AT CUSTOMER CARE NO. 14646, 08044647999 & 08035734999 OR MAIL. AT eticketshirete.co.in.”
Frustrated Users Speak Out
The outage left many users angry, as they were unable to book tickets during the crucial Tatkal hours. One user shared their frustration, saying, “Lost the chance to book a confirmed tatkal ticket for my father, even though I was ready with all the info and had kept the IRCTC wallet full to avoid payment delays. Thanks to the IRCTC website glitches.”
Another user commented, “IRCTC Down. No Tatkal bookings.” A third person posted, “2024 is ending, but some things never change. Tried booking a tatkal ticket on IRCTC, and guess what? The site is not accessible due to traffic! Tatkal feels more like a lottery than a service. Is anyone else still struggling with this?”
Some X Post
Downtime during Tatkal bookings, sabaash ra @IRCTCofficial 🫡🤦🏼♂️ #IRCTC #Tatkal pic.twitter.com/jQqImXQdYD
— Manoj (@Manoj_tweetz) December 31, 2024
IRCTC site when Tatkal booking opens. #IRCTC #Tatkal pic.twitter.com/XEHnw3XUJo
— Kannan Nachimuthu (@25k_aNNa) December 31, 2024
Downdetector Reports
According to Downdetector, a platform that tracks real-time outages for various services, nearly 1,600 reports of IRCTC’s website and app disruptions were recorded as of 11:40 pm. The outage affected major cities across India, including Delhi, Jaipur, Lucknow, Kolkata, Hyderabad, Bengaluru, Mumbai, and Ahmedabad.
Reports indicated that the majority of problems were related to the website, followed by issues with the mobile app and ticket bookings. This incident marks the third time this month that IRCTC has faced a similar outage during the busy Tatkal booking period.
A Reoccurring Problem
Despite attempts to improve the platform's performance, IRCTC's ongoing technical issues continue to impact users. Many are calling for more reliable service during peak hours, especially when booking Tatkal tickets, which are in high demand.
As frustrations mount, passengers are hoping the platform will resolve these issues to ensure smooth service in the future.
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